Artist + designer Nik Bentel joins us for Friday Five to share his favorite shirt, the most unique watch, a book that's influenced him tremendously + more!

Artist and designer Nik Bentel is a one-of-a-kind creative deviser of products and performances that encourage viewers to reimagine the everyday objects in their lives. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the Brown-RISD Dual Degree program and Columbia University?s Master of Architecture program, Bentel went after the things that he already loved: exciting, strange, and engaging experiences that use alternate forms of product design, advertising, and performance art.
“In 2017, when I graduated from undergrad, I dreamed of running my own studio,” Bentel shares. “This switch was more forced upon me when I abruptly quit my design job at the time and hoped for the best, trial by fire! A lot of mistakes were made along the way, but I am still here.” Since then, his studio has been commissioned by brands to generate objects that aren’t just utilitarian ? they tell a story.
Today, Nik Bentel Studio is a team of four based in New York City that design and release limited-edition performative products that are often the result of collaborations. So far, that’s included everything from furniture to handbags to toys and more.
“I use a small sketchbook a lot, so much so that we designed the perfect quick-notation sketchbook that fits in your pocket. It’s perfectly s...