A table out of a table that tells us a story about tables:
Out of IKEA’s Björkudden table, for me an utterly neutral table, i created another table, which traces back the origin of the material it was made out of. The interest lied in reading the material, and recreating the tree the wood came from: A Birch from China.
But there are limits in rewinding the production: the reconstruction of the tree is an artificial act, as so the language of the tree-trunk-table is pixelated, abstracted. The object resembles more an architectural construction than reminding us on growing nature.
The multi-layered skin of colors and gloss reminds on the silver birch bark, but comes in a shiny finish. The top surface consists of many square pieces and builds an construct of lines, from the annual rings it would be possible to tell the age of the tree/the table.
Seen at the exhibition ‘Mint explores’ - one of the most inspiring places around Brompton area London. Shown is the process of casting spoons with a manufacturing technique which allows each spoon to be a unique piece.
Exhibition is extended till 7th october 2011. Go get inspired!
Some shots from the exhibition ‘methods of imitation’ featuring ‘wooden forms’ by Peter Marigold. London Design Festival 2011
Vessels created using a single piece of wood as a mould. Hot wax is pasted on the wood and positioned. One piece blending the other, the wax form is built up. Then it got cast into plaster or metal (as shown in the pictures).
Orawee Choedamphai is a designer who is specialised in threedimensional knitted structures for interior architecture and fashion accessories.
Check out the website: www.orawee.com
Posted by Tina
Carpets that were used over 5 decades in private anatolian homes are the base of that collection. With new coloring the handmade one of a kind carpets get a 2nd chance for modern urban homes. The distinctive patina remembering of past times.
Collection ‘Industrial Style’ of german company miinu
A selection of unique pieces of jewelleries caught recently my attention: hidden stories that are perfectly crafted, futuristic shapes which still are rooted in contemporary contexts.
Their value lies in the beauty of the stories they tell and the innovative and unconventional combination of material and craftmenship.
For more infos see: www.galerie-ra.nl
Brooch “Home of Memories” by Christine Graf
Object by Luzia Vogt
Brooch by Noon Passama
Brooches by Gésine Hackenberg
posted by tina
Ella Robinson is a talented young artist whose work celebrates vibrant colour, pattern and unexpected textile materials. She is a recent graduate of the Royal College of Art, London.Working with both found and purchased media, she creates one-off hand crafted pieces inspired by the colours of the urban environment and the charm of the coast.
www.ellarobinson.com
posted by tina
Grace Du Prez (graduated from Royal College of Art 2010)interweaves hair, hide and other materials to create a raw interpretation of furniture and accessories.Unexpected injections of colour introduce an almos tribal sense of folklore to her definitely hip idiom.Here collection has been shown at the exhibition “Talking textiles” in Milano April 2011 curated by trendforecaster Lidewij Edelkoort.
„With the eye as inspiration I used drawing techniques to help me develop an experimental approach to stitch. With an emphasis on surface and colour I used unexpected combinations of materials including animal skins sheep fleece and hair to create strange yet alluring interior pieces and statement jewellery pieces.“ Grace Du Prez
posted by tina
With the making of Japanes craft as a main theme, Maruwakaya launched in autumn of 2010 a project that combined Ishikawa prefecture’s most acclaimed traditional porcelain, Kamide Choemono-gama, with one of Spain’s most renowned designers, Jaime Hayon.
The unique collection has been presented at Milano Salone Exhibition at Rossana Orlandi this April.
“This is not a project that simply reflects culture but it pays respect to a true tradition, a result of the accumulation of the “time today”.”
All pieces are hand painted by artisans.
www.choemon.com
www.maru-waka.com
posted by tina
The taiwanese brand Yii presented some extraordinary objects at Milan design week Triennale di Milano 2011. Yii, which was conceived by NTCRI (National Taiwan Craft Research Institute) and TDC (Taiwan Design Center), presented its Taiwanese culture through everyday objects. The collection has been developed in collaboration between tradititional Taiwanese craftsmen and Taiwanese and internationally renowned designers such as Konstantin Grcic. Recognisable elements of daily street rituals have been interpreted as design objects and refined with skilled craft techniques.The objects refer to their native Taiwanese culture, whereas their design indicates a use in todays globalised culture: e.g. disposable fast-food plates made of delicate fine porcelain.
„Yii aims to transform traditional craft in the contemporary context through design, in order to bring extraordinary objects to our immensly impersonal environment.“ www.yiidesign.com
Bamboo-Steel Chair (Collection 2011)
Designer: Oki Sato (Nendo)
Craftsman: Chin-tuan Chiu
Material: Steel
The japanese designstudio Nendo created the Bamboo-Steel chair as part of the Yii series. Their task was to discover sources for new designs through research into Taiwans’s traditional bamboo handicrafts and furniture. Fascinated by bamboo-working techniques, Nendo decided to draw its inspiration from the technique rather than to work with the material itself. Bamboo-working techniques were applied to tubular steel pipes, a mass-produced industrial good. By weaving together thinly sliced sections and joining parts by wrapping them around each other as in the bamboo handicraft techniques the hard metal quality received a sense of pliancy.
The Bamboo-steel chair was created in close coorporation with bamboo artisans who visited the metal workshop regularly. “The bamboo-steel chair is (…) a symbol of new futures for traditional crafts through the cross-fertilization of different techniques and materials.”
Designer: Pili Wu
Craftsman: Tsun-jen Lee
Material: Eggshell porcelain
Disposable cups and plates, commonly seen at roadside banquets in Taiwan, were the direct inspiration for objects of fine porcelain. Their shapes derive from cheap plastic dishes and gain a new meaning by its exquisit eggshell porcelain. “Plastic” becomes refined porcelain tableware.
posted by tina
