Jason horvath is a furniture designer AND an ARTIST.

Co-founder of Uhuru Design, Jason Horvath was born and raised in Louisville, KY and currently lives in Park City, Utah. He grew up mountain biking, skating, surfing, and competitive rock climbing at a national and international level. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in industrial and graphic design, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in the art and design world. Jason worked as an interior designer for Stedila Design in NYC for four years as he built Uhuru Design. He is currently working as CCO of Uhuru.

“ My work intends to bridge a narrow definition of art and design. I seek to find a balance between expression and function, theory and practicality-between clouds and concrete. Always with soul and passion, I strive for the true avant garde- work which pushes the known boundaries of the acceptable, sometimes with revolutionary, cultural, or political implications. “

Uhuru Design started in a small garage space in Red Hook, Brooklyn in 2004. Those were the early days for the maker movement in Brooklyn.  With financial constraints, their first collections were designed and built in our studio from unique and beautiful materials found in the streets of Brooklyn and beyond.  The company was formed after this idea of narrative design and sustainability. 

Now 20 years later, the small shop run by two art school graduates is a $20 million a year leader in New American Design. Jason has maintained his charismatic spirit of creative entrepreneurship, continued his initial design aesthetic all while growing his skills and acumen at growing a company and brand through the 2008 recession and the global pandemic.  

For Jason, the most rewarding part of his work has been seeing the impact that the furniture and products have made in the physical world. People interact with Uhuru products daily on a global level, and storytelling through design has the power to shape and change our world.  Another core principle for Jason is that products should be built to last.  This includes a focus on quality and timeless design, utilizing sustainably harvested wood & high recycled content metals and design that makes it possible for every piece to be repaired, reused, and at the end of this lifespan, recycled.  

Jason’s projects show his love of materials matched with story. Sometimes this has meant reclaimed materials and the chance to give them and their story a second life. Something with a story that is well made is something a person will keep and pass along. 

To reduce the company’s impact on the environment and  to be part of the solution and not the problem, Uhuru Design is a signatory of the UN Global Compact on Sustainability and has plans to implement and support its principles. This includes an assessment of  the carbon footprint for each of the products, including materials, manufacturing, and logistics to better understand how the company can reduce its impact. Uhuru hopes to be one of the first furniture companies to publish this data for customers to better understand the impact of the things they purchase and to make more informed decisions. Uhuru has designed and built a vast range of projects with award winning designers and brands. Uhuru’s aesthetic can be found in leading projects around the world.