How French Artist Osman Mercan, Artistic Director for Rapper Laylow, Merges Design With Hip-hop Culture

MILAN — French-born visual artist and a key character on the trap world, Osman Mercan has crossed the Rubicon from the world of music to the world of design. This month Osman debuted his own design studio, Age of Digital, unveiling its first chair. In 2015, the self-taught visual artist established a video production company, which set out to create its own disruptive aesthetic. For 13 years the 33-year-old has been the artistic director for Laylow, a French trap artist. He’s now leveraging his directorial eye to create otherworldly pieces inspired by digital art. His first aluminum furniture piece was created with a 3D tool that is normally used in film. Related Articles In an interview, Osman explained why he has made a foray into the world of design. WWD: You entered the world of visual arts without any formal training — who were your mentors and how did you teach yourself the trade?  You May Also Like Osman Mercan: I have always been passionate about cinema, fascinated by how movies are made. Over the years I have spent days at the Film Library François Truffaut in Les Halles [France]. Every time I discovered a film, I would analyze it...