Bio

Munire Kirmaci was born and raised in Turkey. Known as Mimi by her friends and family, Kirmaci is a Brooklyn based product and interior designer. She is the design director at studio MNR8 , a design firm she founded in 2012.

Kirmaci received a Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey in 2001. She continued her design education in New York, studying Industrial Design at Rochester Institute of Technology and graduating with an MFA from Pratt Institute in 2006.

Kirmaci made her design debut at the New York city MoMa Design Store in 2008 with Salt and Pepper Shaker in One, a popular product that quickly sold out and gained her recognition in the design scene. Soon after, Wounded Vase appeared at the Guggenheim Museum in 2010 as part of an exhibition entitled Haunted. In 2011, she was honored by the inclusion, along with nine other designers, to exhibit at the prestigious Talents at Ambiente in Frankfurt, Germany. Kirmaci's following project Co-Cane Walking Stick was invited to join the Arigato Projectin 2011 during Tokyo Design Week. The project and subsequent book published by Gestalten World-Wide were created to support Japan after the devastating tsunami.

Kirmaci has enjoyed the privilege of working with Ferhat Dorkip, Benza Design, Harry Allen, TZ Design, Chelsea Architect, Ralph Lauren, ASA- Selection, Pratt Institute, Birsel+Seck, Knoll and top museums like MoMA, Guggenheim, Walker Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Moca Cleveland.

Kirmaci is devoted to continuing her design work, to trigger her diverse curiosity by working within the fields of interior architecture, product design and design research. Her genuinely endless optimism meets her subtle Turkish sarcasm and leads to unique intuitive reflections, feeding her love for simple design in any form or scale.

Kirmaci invites you to get in touch, your world will be brighter and your smile bigger.

Exhibitions

• Dec 2016, Exhibition “Candleholder Exhibition”, Triode Design Gallery, Paris, France
• May 2016, Exhibition “Growth”, American Design Club at Design Pavillion during New York Design Week
• May 2015, Exhibition “Curse the darkness” LOADED Candle Holder got selected for a curated show by American Design Club and Roll/Hill at Sight Unseen offsite during New York Design Week
• May 2012, Knock Knock & AmDC, LA, Clamp-It got selected to be part of a collaboration
• Feb 2012, New York Gift Fair, New York, AmDC (American Design Club)
• Nov 2011, “Arigato Project: an Exhibition supporting Japan after 2011 Tsunami”, Tokyo, Japan, Co-Cane was chosen to exhibit during Tokyo Design Week
• Oct 2011, “Designers Spirit: 40 Turkish designers under 40’s”, Istanbul, Turkey
• Sep 2011, “Designersblock”, London Design Week
• May 2011, Panelist in a Design Event organized by The American Turkish Society during ICFF 2011, New York Design Week
• May 2011, Exhibition by Model Citizens, New York, Off-site show at Chelsea Art Museum, New York Design Week
• May 2011, “The Launch of Destination:Istanbul by MoMa Design Store”, New York: Featuring Salt and Pepper in One among 41 other Turkish designers
• Feb 2011, “TALENTS at Ambiente”, Frankfurt Am Main, DE, Selected to exhibit at an International Housewares Fair
• Feb 2010, “A+: The Young Designers’ Platform Showcases six Fresh Talents”, New York International Gift Fair
• May 2009, Exhibition “Equilateral 09:02”, by IDSA.NYC, New York Design Week
• May 2008, ICFF, New York Design Week
• May 2006, Debuted Salt & Pepper Shaker in One, ICFF, New York Design Week

Press

Clients