6 best art and design shows you can watch now on Netflix

From sustainable architecture to pixel art, you can learn about the world’s most innovative designers and their works from the comfort of your home via Netflix with these art and design shows.

When it comes to relaxing after a long day, Netflix is our drug. For us, logging on to the streaming service doesn’t always mean catching the latest episode of a reality dating show (no judgement, though). Whether it’s to find inspiration or to simply feel a little more cultured, these art and design shows are calming and the perfect way to destress. Besides, we could also use a little creative input from the experts.

Get creative with these 6 art and design shows on Netflix:

Abstract: The Art of Design

With two seasons available, this documentary series takes you inside the minds of the world’s most innovative designers in a variety of disciplines. Each episode deep dives into a different creative bubble in the design world, including illustration, graphic design, stage design and even shoemaking. As an architecture graduate, I recommend starting with Bjarke Ingels’ episode, which hones in on the Danish starchitect’s “pragmatic utopian” designs like a clean power plant topped with a ski slope.

Watch Abstract: The Art of Design on Netflix here

Art&Tech

If you’re into anime, pixel art or music videos, then Art&Tech is for you. Explore the intersection between art and technology in this two-season Japanese show, where each episode introduces a new contemporary artist and takes a closer look at their innovative methods. The inaugural episode features Japanese artist, illustrator and character designer PALOW, who shares the inspiration behind his famous Bug Mechanic Girl illustrations and the design process of creating the character for virtual singer KAF.

Watch Art&Tech on Netflix here

Made by Design

Explore African creative talent in the first season of this Netflix documentary dedicated to Nigerian design. In each episode of the 13-part series, the viewer is introduced to a Nigerian designer, who is a leader in their field and who has embraced the function-first design perspective of working in Africa. The show also addresses the misconceptions about African design and depicts it as multifaceted. Some segments may be a little heavy, but each episode is standalone so you can start and stop whenever you want.

Watch Made by Design on Netflix here

The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals

With international travel starting again and a relatively lightweight seven-day quarantine upon arrival for us in Hong Kong, it’s time to start planning your next trip. Catch the two available seasons of The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals on Netflix, which, as per its title, showcases the best holiday homes around the world. From a bird’s nest in Bali to a farm-to-table gourmet stay in the Berkshires, these escapes are something else altogether — and may even become reality if you’re up for it.

Watch The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals on Netflix here

Tiny House Nation

Surprise, surprise — tiny homes aren’t just a thing in Hong Kong (though we do seem to be the only ones without a choice when it comes to the size of our homes). Tiny House Nation shows that you can have it all while living small. Learn some tips and tricks from the tiny homeowners featured in each episode, from a songwriter with a family plan to live in a luxe micro-home to a night nurse who goes mobile in a mini-home. What do you guys think — can we relate or are these Americans crazy for choosing to live this way?

Watch Tiny House Nation on Netflix here

The Andy Warhol Diaries

You can’t talk about contemporary art without mentioning Andy Warhol. This expansive, six-part portrait of the legend chronicles his life after being shot in 1968, when the American artist reveals the thoughts, loves, and lives of him and everyone around him, including friends like Jackie O and Yoko Ono. The documentary will also give you a glimpse into his prolific career, his sources of inspiration and how he became a cultural icon that’s still revered today.

Watch The Andy Warhol Diaries on Netflix here

(Hero and featured image: Abstract: The Art of Design/Netflix)