Micael Durán
Micael Durán is a New York–based architect, sculptor, and jewelry designer whose work explores the intersection of architecture, material experimentation, and the space between utility and adornment. With a background in sculpture and computer science and over 16 years of professional architectural experience across Dallas, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and New York, he approaches objects through both structural logic and tactile sensitivity. His process translates architectural materials and ways of thinking into smaller-scale works. Working often with concrete, metal, casting, and assembly, Micael is interested in weight, support, memory, and the traces left by process. Across his work, familiar materials are recast into intimate forms that ask how objects can carry feeling, mark ritual, and shape a sense of belonging.
Architect x Designer
Safe & Sound
Designed by Durán Designs.
Transformation reconsiders the coat hook as both a domestic tool and a small sculptural presence within the home. Cast in aluminum and mounted individually across the wall, the four forms operate as a family of related objects rather than a single repeated unit. Each hook holds its own silhouette and attitude, moving across a spectrum from near-abstraction to something more animated and creature-like. Together, they create a quiet composition between utility, ornament, and character.
The piece began as a negotiation between two sensibilities. One leaned toward simplicity, restraint, and reduction; the other toward a more expressive figure associated with the flamingo—an animal tied to display, personality, and unapologetic presence. Rather than choose one direction over the other, Transformation was developed in the space between them. The resulting set traces a gradual shift from minimal geometry toward more animated form. In that sense, the work is not only about transformation in appearance, but also about transformation through coexistence: how different instincts and tastes can be held together within a shared domestic environment.
Detail & Care: Each hook is installed using a concealed mounting system. A custom wall-mounted post is first fastened to the wall, after which the cast aluminum hook slides over the pentagonal receiver and is secured with a discreet set screw using an Allen wrench. This allows the piece to sit cleanly against the wall with minimal visible hardware and a refined, secure fit.
— Size: 1 3/4” diameter
— Materials: Cast Aluminum, Custom Mounting Hardware