ABOUT

Jude di Leo is an American multidisciplinary designer born in 1983 in San Francisco. After growing up in Greater New York, he studied graphic design while attending Rhode Island School of Design, and, after craving something more physical and three dimensional, received his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute. During college, he worked for a fine woodworker where he honed his craft while forming his own aesthetic practice informed by influences as seemingly diverse as Bauhaus and the design of ancient civilizations. Jude says, “I find it fascinating how people in different places will come up with the same concepts around the same time. It’s part of a zeitgeist, and I think there is something much more to be discovered with how we are all interconnected.”

In 2007, he co-founded the sustainable furniture company Bear & Lion with Bernardo Guillermo in Brooklyn, a city that was emerging as a global focal point for design at the time. Their first project was a reception table for the Rivington Arms art gallery.

Jude’s independent work over the last 15 years includes designing and building furniture for residences, hospitality, and retail. He has also worked on myriad collaborations, including as a designer of fine architectural metal work, alongside architecture and interior design firms on projects including a residence for Aby Rosen with Rees Roberts & Partners; multiple private residences with Julie Hillman, including her personal residence; and multiple private residences with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Leroy Street Studios, Workstead, and others. His work as an experiential designer includes projects for clients such as the MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, The New School, Lincoln Center, Museum of Arts and Design, Maison Margiela, Proenza Schouler, R29 and Target. 

Jude began his independent studio in 2017 in Brooklyn, where he developed a practice that straddles the worlds of art and design. He debuted his Gibbous collection of furniture in 2019; his Gibbous corner cabinet was named the #1 product of the show by Architectural Digest, and his Gibbous Chair was the winner for Best Residential Seating by the NYCxDesign Awards committee and ICFF. 

A Cooper Hewitt National Design Award nominee, Jude resides and works in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Representation: GALERIE PHILIA, GARDE, MATTER, & STUDIO TASHTEGO