My work intersects with many domains from furniture, high-end goods, technology, architecture and manufacturing.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1993, George grew up on a farm where his talent for working with his hands was deepened from a young age. He studied, worked, and lived in Pretoria and now resides in Cape Town since moving in 2017.
George first exhibited internationally in 2016 when he was invited to showcase his Wasser project (an electricity-free washing machine) for the Global Grad Show part of the Dubai Design Week. In 2021 he showcased one of his latest designs, The Slank Occasional Chair at the Milan Design Week.
He completed his honours degree in 2017 in Industrial Design and started work at an architecture firm. George regularly collaborates with brands and startups on various design projects. In November 2018 he founded the Cape Town-based design agency, Undesign which he manages full-time.
George has accumulated numerous design awards, the most notable being the Red Dot Award, and Design Intelligence Award. He is featured in many publications such as Mens' Health and L'Officiel, as well as guest interviews on podcasts.
DIA - DESIGN INTELLIGENCE AWARD
October 2021
Honorable Mention Waterbok II
SALONE DEL MOBILE.MILANO
September 2021, Milan, Italy
Isola Gallery - The Slank Occasional Chair.
RED DOT AWARD
July 2021
Design Concept - The Venta Mask.
SIT FURNITURE DESIGN AWARD 2020
April 2021
Honorable Mention - The Slank Occasion Chair.
YOUNGBLOOD ARTS AND CULTURE DEVELOPMENT EXHIBITION
March 2021, Cape Town
Slank Occasion Chair.
DESIGN INDABA EXHIBITION
February 2020, Cape Town
Designed by George Gibbens featuring the Slank and Kolk range.
11TH & 12TH INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS
April 2019
Silver Industrial and Life Science Design-Aids/Prosthetics for the sensory enhancing headset.