About

Henry Merker (Philadelphia, b. 1996) designs experimental home goods in wood using a combination of CNC machining and traditional woodworking processes. As a graduate of Drexel University’s Product Design program, Henry playfully leverages the constraints of these fabrication tools to bring definition to a medium typically defined by its natural irregularity. Because of the precision of computer-aided design and CNC routing, Henry’s work often invokes motifs of organic topology, primitive geometry, and cryptic symbology. 

His career is dotted with periods of focus on particular design objects - lamps, candle sticks, mirrors, etc. - designing in a self-described, “Spontaneous,” methodology which results in collections of objects whose thread of inspiration can be followed through chronological iteration. From the recent collection of mirrors for Commonweal Gallery (Phila, PA), to the Spontaneous Lamp series which has produced 23 designs since 2022, Henry has applied this practice across several genres of housewares in the pursuit of rare shapes.

Henry is currently represented by design collective DUDD HAUS, and has shown work at Commonweal Gallery, Hot Bed Gallery (Phila, PA) and Yowie (Phila, PA).

Contact Henry at studio@henrymerker.com or via Instagram @henry.merker.