| Founder Raphael Azran was born with the two things that designers need most: a good eye and exposure to art and beauty at an early age. The good eye got him far—he worked in the fashion business for many years before turning his skill toward furniture. But it was the immersion in art while young that may have had the deepest influence on his work. While raised primarily in Israel, Raphael spent time as a child in Marrakech where, through a happy quirk of fate, his family was connected with the Moroccan royal family. As a result, he spent many hours playing in the Royal Palace among the exquisite and centuries-old tilework, rugs, furniture and architecture unique to Moroccan culture. Over the years, he also lived in other design-intense countries such as France England, Italy and Japan which added another multi-cultural layer to his designs. However, recently Raphael has begun to notice how much his early influences have shown up in his work in subtle ways: the attention to detail, the sense of proportion, the timelessness, and the idea that furniture can, indeed, be art. Today, he lives and works in the United States where, for the past decade, he has transformed his passion for design and beautiful woods into the ever-in-demand Folio Fino. |
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