New Jersey native Louie Rigano is fresh out of the Rhode Island School of Design, and armed with a pretty impressive body of work already.

Having graduated last spring with a BFA in Industrial Design and a focus on Environmental Studies, his work deals with pared down ideals, married with thoughtful and occasionally humourous meditations on contemporary notions of luxury, utility, and cultural values.

Among Louie's portfolio (amid some great pieces like a fur first-aid box, recycled plastic bags born again as rain boots and a morphed antique chair...) we spied this 'Shift Chair' which plays with the idea of an aesthetic weight shift.

The visible weight of the chair is along the side parallel in bent red oak segments, appearing precariously floating, but held together by the clear plastic of the back and the seat. The seat also bends back to form the rear leg, and it's this curvaceous form that allows ample freedom to adjust and shift around while sitting.

In the Autumn, Rigano will be heading to Japan with a Fulbright Grant to spend a year studying and travelling; working on a project which concentrates on traditional Japanese aesthetics and their role in modern culture and design.

If his work so far is anything to go by, we can't wait to see what he comes up with.