Furniture, lighting and accessories created by Form & Reform celebrate the flexibility, durability, and simple beauty of iron. Form & Reform uses centuries-old blacksmithing techniques and modern processes to bring out the interesting textures, shapes and finishes in the material. Each piece is designed by Jon Sarriugarte.
Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Jon made the trip out to California to create the metal furniture company Form & Reform in 1987. He has studied and worked as a blacksmith/ fabricator for over 25 years; pouring his creativity into both work and the local community where he is a civic leader and board member of the West Oakland Commerce Association. Jon served on Mayor Libby Schaaf’s Task Force on Artist Housing & Workspaces. He co-owns the Kraftworks building in West Oakland that houses over 25 industrial craftspeople and performance artists.
Not content to “merely” excel at work, Jon also believes in plain old fun. His entries in the Power Tool Drag Races have been featured on the Discovery Channel, and his work on Vortex generators were featured on the History Channel. He continues to be active in the Bay Area art group, Survival Research Laboratories. He has collaborated and worked with a number of artists and arts/crafts organizations throughout the years including American Craft Council, Burning Man, MAKE, Eric Paulos, Pepe Ozan, David Therian, Robo Dock, California Blacksmith Association, John Law, Christopher Brooks, Lighting on Demand, Therm, and the Crucible, to name a few.
In 2007 Jon and his wife Kyrsten Mate founded the Boiler Bar Theater. This Oilpunk group built an entire bar from a turn of the century oil town and along with a bevy of stage talent, has taken the show on the road as far away as Texas. The Giant Iron Snail Art Car Golden Mean was added in 2008, mixing Jules Verne and Dr Doolittle in a hot rod car from the past. The Electrobite, a personnel transportation fossil was built in 2009, the Zeppelini a personnel flying machine was created in 2010 and the Serpent Twins were awarded as honorarium art cars at Burning Man in 2011 and 2012. In 2016 The Serpent Twins traveled to France to perform with La Machine. Jon is currently working on Project Empire.
Jon is married to Kyrsten Mate, a sound designer who has worked on Oscar winning films and whose work can be heard in Pixar’s animated film, The Incredibles, Sam Mendes’ Jarhead, TRON, War Horse and more. Jon and Kyrsten have a wonderful daughter named Zolie Mae.