Design: art of consuming culture

In this season of end-of-year sales and buying things you don’t really need, it seems timely that Theme magazine has a profile on the artist Tobias Wong. His provoking and ironic art works, explore the funny nature of consumerism and questions the value of art, design and everyday objects. He is known for using very high-end designer products and has played around with Burberry tartans, Issey Miyake clothes, Philippe Starck furniture, and used the extravagance of real diamonds, cash, crystal, and pearls. In the Christmas of 2002, one of his works even tried to sell original Andy Warhols as holiday gift wrap for up to $25,000. His work both annoys and influences the design world and this has made him one of Forbes Magazine’s Tastemakers of 2007.