Max funkat

Born in Halle-Saale, Germany, in 1991, Max Funkat is a designer whose work explores the tension between the natural and the urban, raw material and human emotion. From an early age, he was fascinated by architectural forms and textures — a sensitivity shaped by the influence of his grandfather, an architect, as well as by figures such as Alvar Aalto. This early exposure instilled in him a deep awareness of materiality and of the relationship between objects and the real world. After spending six years working in the film industry, primarily in production, Max felt the need to return to a more tangible, personal form of creative expression. He turned to design, rediscovering his love for hands-on work through an apprenticeship in carpentry. This return to the source — to both nature and craftsmanship — led him to study at HTW Berlin, before enrolling at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK), where he deepened his exploration of design at the intersection of art and craft, with a particular focus on wood and stone. He graduated in 2024.