The Story
What is A Passage Forms?
A Passage Forms is an art and design project by Gian Frederic exploring existential joy - a sense of fulfillment that comes from embracing our mortality.
Vanitas by Antonio de Pereda
This concept has made me live life happier; in awe of existence and moment-to-moment experiences, and that's something I want to remind people of.
I'm up for any interesting opportunities or collabs. If you're interested in working on a project with me or just want to chat, DM me on Instagram.
Who runs A Passage Forms?
A Passage Forms is a one-person design studio run by Gian Frederic, a designer in California with support from friends and collaborators.
My main workspace
It's a creative outlet I use to explore and reflect on ideas that I can't stop thinking about.
Our mission
My goal is to inspire people through appealing and compelling design work to find joy and embrace their finite lives.
Our products
I either produce products myself or with close collaborators, or work with local businesses to get them made.
I like to keep things low quantity for sustainability and to make the purchases feel more direct and personal.
Everything is designed by me, but often with feedback from friends.
I don't need to do this for money. I don't sell anything I'm not proud of.
Why choose us
Designs from A Passage Forms serve as daily reminders to reflect, embrace life, and consider your time more deeply.
By choosing us, you're bringing valuable reminders into your life that you can share with others and supporting an independent creator.
The story so far
I felt like I needed container for my creative ideas, and wanted something separate from myself, which is how A Passage Forms was born.
Early concepts and rationale were developed on phone while walking around my neighborhood and on train rides to work. I did some initial sketches and explorations in my apartment but also on a trip in Japan.
Ichinoseki, a city in Northern Japan I visited on my trip (not my picture)
The first project was coming up with the name, logo, and the base color scheme.
The second project is the first T-shirt design, BLOOM FOREVER!.
The third project is a T-shirt design in collaboration with thoughtfulcoffee.
I'm exploring sewing and embroidery as well as stickers and prints!
As things progress I'd like to invest in more interesting and expensive mediums :)
This is fun and I'll continue spending time on it as long as it's fun.
The rest of the story is still being written!
About the Creator
Some stuff I don't mind sharing:
Day job: I'm a (software) designer
Based in: California
Favorite city: Tokyo (leave me there)
Favorite movie: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Favorite album: not sure, my top 3 Spotify songs in 2023 were:
- Hollywood Baby by 100 gecs
- 2516 by Luna Li
- dirty dancer by Orion Sun
Recent inspo: Kendrick Lamar, Studio Ghibli, Tyler the Creator, KAWS, RDCWorld, One Piece, Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Likes: painting and drawing (traditional and iPad), aimless walking, thinking, quiet time, passionate people, exercise, architecture
I think other people are the most interesting thing.
Connect with me on Instagram if you wanna chat about anything!
I like chatting, and I particularly like sharing/discussing creative work.