(b.1967)

Exhibited: Yves Béhar/fuseproject, design series 2, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, march-October 2004

Literature: Concept/Commerce, The Work of Yves Béhar, Basel, 2004, illustrated p.63; “Masters of Design: Next Generation,” Fast Company, June 2004, illustrated p.74; “Qu’est-ce que le design,” Beaux Arts Magazine, hors serie, November 2004, illustrated p.77; “The Creative Edge,” Time Magazine, summer supplement 2005, illustrated p.34; “Yves Behar: oggetti in divernire,” Interni, July-August 2005, illustrated p.94; “Meet the Innovation Gurus,” Business Week, August 1, 2005, p.76.

Yves Béhar was born in Laussanne in 1967. He completed his design studies at the Art Center of Design in Pasadena, California, in 1991. In 1999 he founded the company fuseproject in San Francisco. The design philosophy behind his work is “rooted in the idea that intelligent and consistent stories can be developed four our clients and their products. We believe in creating memorable experiences from these stories integrating every touch point of the brand.”  Béhar’s goal is to merge industrial design and the corporate identity of his clients, by providing high-level technical features in consumer-friendly packaging.

Béhar grew up in Switzerland, a product of a Turkish mother and a German father. This eclectic background had provided great inspiration for his work. Béhar’s work is not restricted to one field; he has collaborated with companies varied as BMW and MINI to Birckenstock, Hermann Miller, Swarowski and Toshiba. He has been recognized for his work with numerous prestigious awards. Most recently in 2006 by CES Consumer Electronics Honoree for the Hermann Miller Leaf Lamp and the Aliph Jawbone Headset, as well as the IDEA Business Week Gold Excellence Award and Silver Excellence Award for DXL Protection Helmets and Swarovski Voyage chandelier, respectively.  In 2004 he received a National Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. In 2003, Business Week named fuseproject as one of the six best design firms worldwide.

Since the mid-1990s, his works have been presented in various group and solo exhibitions, most recently at the Vitra Design Museum, Moss Gallery NY, and the San Francisco Craft Museum.  In 2004 the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco featured his as part of the “design series 2” exhibition, which he has called a “futurespective.” His work is also found in the permanent collections of museum such as the SFMoMA, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.