Free shipping on all orders 11/27–12/2.
Learn More
Arielle Pollock
Art Director
Arielle is a RISD alum with a background in industrial design, branding, and furniture design. Her work is often inspired by nature’s raw and unpolished beauty. In addition to building her own brand, she’s an art director at a Chicago advertising agency.
Chicago, Illinois
Get to know Arielle Pollock
How would you describe your design style?
I'm very focused on nature. For me, that means organic forms mixed with thick, bold, and harsh lines. The first light I made for Gantri is a good example. I was inspired by a geode rock I saw, and I immediately went home to draft the light using CAD software. I wanted to replicate its rough edges but add a more cohesive geometric form to it.
What materials do you like to work with?
Ceramics, glass, and anything breakable. You know there's a good chance it's going to shatter, and you might not see it finished. That’s actually good, because you learn to enjoy the process of it.
What was it like grow up in a family of designers?
Great! It's nice to have parents who understand design. I can use them for critiques—and they give very honest opinions! I always go to my mother when I need help with patterns or colors. And my father is helpful when I want feedback on design and layout. But there wasn’t pressure for me to become a designer. They encouraged me to find my own direction.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I used to work a carpenter and I love to weld. That surprises people because I'm 5'2" and look like a girly-girl. The first time I learned to weld, I was building sets for plays. Eventually I learned how to do tungsten inert gas welding, which is a lot cleaner and more precise. I started to build furniture pieces, like a bench with embedded flower pots. The bench has one seat and three flower pots, so a gardener can sit and rest with their plants.
Where do you work?
I don't have a permanent space. As long as I have my laptop, sketchbooks, and pens, I'm pretty much sorted. But that means I’m always working—at a friend’s house, at a park. I go camping all the time, and I’ll bring my notebook along on a day hike.
What’s one crazy dream you have for your career?
I would love to design and run an ice cream shop. My dad and I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and making ice cream became a father-daughter hobby. Eventually I started making ice cream that was be better than what I bought in stores. I think it would be incredibly satisfying to create everything about an ice cream shop—the layout, the packaging, the logo, the branding, and of course the ice cream itself!
© 2024 Gantri, Inc. All Rights Reserved.