When I spotted him hunched over a table in the bookstore's furthest back corner, he was buried behind a pile of asian snack food and very stoicly at work inking a Japanese cartoon monster in a fan's recently purchased copy.
At my turn, I took the chance to ask him what he missed most about Tokyo, to which he replied bluntly: "Designer fruit. A $200 cantaloupe."
His designs don’t just invite interaction. They demand it. Round shapes, in particular, seem to call out to be touched. Please Touch is a rebellion against convention and an invitation to break the rules. It asks you to step outside the lines and reach for what’s supposedly off-limits. Because really, why not? Why does a table have to be rectangular, square, or even circular? Why does a chair need four legs? Why does a cabinet have to be static?
Miller’s work is the result of a decade-long journey of self-discovery, experimentation, and pushing boundaries. When he moved to New York in 2015, he was searching for something—purpose, direction, and a sense of identity. He started out farming in the Hudson Valley before shifting to metal fabrication. Eventually, he found his true calling in furniture making. In 2017, he launched Jackrabbit Studio and made it a full-time endeavor the following year.
"I’ve never been one to follow the rules," Miller says. "But through my practice and working with natural materials, I’ve gained a deep appreciation and respect for universal laws. Some things just won’t work, but most things do. And within the parameters of functionality, there’s almost limitless wiggle room for the expression of form." This balance between structure and freedom is at the core of his work. His pieces invite interaction, encouraging people to rethink how objects function.
"Why?" is the first question we ask as kids when we learn to speak. But before we ask why, we touch—to know, to understand, to feel. This show is about embracing that instinct. So, let the kid in you take over. Run your hands along the edges, break the rules, and Please Touch.
Please Touch by Brett Miller from January 18th - February 22nd, 2025
