This handwoven collection of tapestries, table mats and runners is inspired by the traditional Igbo weaving techniques of the women from Akwete in the eastern part of Nigeria. Akwete textiles are traditionally woven with cotton blended thread or polyester for wearable textiles. This collection fuses woven water hyacinth (a renewable natural resource and invasive aquatic weed) with contemporary Akwete inspired motifs and patterns using fish twine for use as home decor. 

Early in 2022, Achenyo along with two weavers from Ebira land visited Idah in the North Central part of Nigeria to explore weaving water hyacinth on vertical looms. This visit sparked local interest and community members marveled that an age-old fast dying tradition was  was being reintroduced with a new weaving yarn – woven water hyacinth. This motivated Achenyo to start exploring new means of increasing the earning potential of the Artisans whilst preserving the tradition of loom weaving. 

Her  research led to the discovery of Akwete cloth, a unique handwoven apparel textile with motifs produced in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Akwete cloth is usually made of cotton thread, and the decorative motifs are produced with cotton threads of a heavier texture or rayon silk. Most Akwete designs or motifs are by the inspiration of the weaver.

This Home collection is adopting the Akwete weaving technique using new materials - woven water hyacinth, a natural fiber material and fish twine both of which have never been used in the history of Akwete weaving. The items in this collection will be used to adorn the home and not the body as the traditional Akwete cloth. The water hyacinth will be woven by Artisans in Idah while the tapestries, mats and runners will be woven by Artisans from Akwete.

Akwete of a Different Kind - Old Meets New

Brass has an inherent fragile beauty derived from its material quality of impermanence.
„Anicca Vanitas“ looks at this topic through the lens of different cultural heritages and is
a collection of objects that interpret impermanence physically and symbolically.

ANICCA VANITAS COLLECTION - THE BEAUTY OF IMPERMANANCE

Anicca Vanitas

Whenever we think of crystal chandeliers we tend to imagine hanging objects: Glass elements of many different styles that enable lights to sparkle. But making chandeliers is not about working with glass. Without metalworking expertise, even the most beautiful crystals are left hanging in a state of limbo. This is why companies such as Bakalowits, which has been manufacturing crystal chandeliers in Vienna for almost 180 years, are principally metalworkers – masters in the shaping of materials such as iron and brass. They buy all the glass parts from their partners in Murano or Austria.

The traditional crafts business Bakalowits has been manufacturing crystal chandeliers in Vienna for almost 180 years. Whenever we think of crystal chandeliers we tend to imagine hanging objects — Glass elements of many different styles that enable lights to sparkle. But making chandeliers is not about working with glass: The craftspeople mainly process metal (the glass is bought from glass manufacturers) and they are very skilled at bending metal profiles with the help of bending templates. The bending templates are usually used for metal frameworks of chandeliers. The form language is derived from the possibilities of the bending templates.

Bent metal objects

Bakalowits Hook Collection

The collection focuses on challenging our perception of traditional basketry by taking advantage of contemporary materials and shapes to highlight a natural material and its techniques. A contrast driven approach will stand as an invitation to reclaim space for crafted pieces in our homes. As the ecosystem around the bulrush techniques is fading in Portugal, from the artisans to the harvesters, this collection aims to raise the awareness of a global immaterial heritage loss that impacts from small communities to the whole sector of makers and craftsmanship. Our intention is to come up with a collection of artifacts that exist as the outcome of an ongoing research on the craft scene today, as a form of storytelling enablers that inhabit our spaces and impact how we perceive our surroundings

With an intentional focus on natural fibers, ancient techniques and their continuity, we aim to reconnect us with us - the raw materials from our landscapes, our ancestral know-how and our makers.


Reshaping weaving processes

BulRUSH

The manufacture of solid wood products, 100% manual with the help of very sharp tools, tools also made by hand.
Products that can be made are furniture (chairs, tables, supports) or for the kitchen or decor: wooden dishes, wooden bowls, trays, wooden spoons, etc.

Nicu Dragan or Bebe as he is also called, is a young craftsman from Valcea who took over this craft from his parents. This craft is the main source of income for him, his wife and their 2 children. When he has more work, the whole family contributes to the realization of that order, each performing various steps in making the products, but usually only he and his wife work. Nicu Dragan and I have known each other for over 10 years, during which time I managed to get to know him and understand his way of working. He is a man who respects and appreciates very much what he does and he likes challenges.
With this project, I hope we will succeed in challenging them and succeed in developing a collection of special and as interesting products as possible.

Wood carvers and their story

CHAIRS FOR BABENI

Our project will design and produce objects - by reinterpreting traditional craft techniques and anchor them in everyday life. The basic design comes from Nepal. Viewing and experiencing this handicraft creates new insights, perspectives and enriches the exchange of information. By presenting the Technique, the unseen material, an appreciation for the cultural heritage existing in Nepal and an awareness of a global value chain is created. The viewing and experiencing this craft creates new insights. It connects the viewer with the object and its story and thus with the story of how it came to be and who made it. CO-CREATION STARTING WITH AN EMOTION: by exchanging with each other artisan and creator an everyday emotion we try to find a new expression for the object.



The design gets developed together with the artisan by cultivating the openness of co-creation. 

,,What material do you associate with the feeling mentioned?“ we will collectively live through the design by cultivating the openness of co-creation - to find the soul of the material in interculturally-way.

We meet on a level work on the final idea together.


By showing the traditional techniques, as well as the path to co-creation, viewing and experiencing this craft creates new insights. It connects the viewer to the object and its history, and thus to the story of how it came to be and who made it. 




CO-EXISTENCE IS THE ESSENCE - CO-CREATION STARTING WITH AN EMOTION

Creation of a first collection of objects which explore new opportunities using the traditional sand casting technique of the bell foundry Brügger. Sourcing inspiration within the boundaries of the current workshop infrastructure and scale of the existing casting moulds in the foundry.
The aim is to highlight the unique construction techniques, material properties and finishes developed over generations of handcrafted bells.

Arnaud and Alexis Brügger are 3rd generation artisans creating traditional bells in the Fribourg region of Switzerland. On one hand they forge Sonnailles (steel bells), under the prestigious brand of P. Morier, and on the other hand, they sand-cast bronze bells. In this first collaboration between Fonderie Brügger and designer Georg Foster, they explore new avenues using the same technique of sand-casting.

Fonderie Brügger, a wonderland of dust, fire and molten metal

Cast like a bell

A collection of both culturally and aesthetically significant artifacts. Objects of affection, that embody a narrative dimension that is ancient and rooted in the tradition of the target community yet speak a contemporary language that is accessible to the predominantly Western audience of the target market.
The collection (either of furniture or furnishing accessories) will be aimed at a mid-to-high-end target audience, sensitive to the quality of workmanship and attentive to developments in contemporary design, at professionals (architects, interior designers) and in the contract sector. In this process design acts as an amplifier of materiality, emotional relationship, and rituality, which are expressed by craft making, attempting at a reaction to the paucity of actual material culture.

The project aims to attract attention onto the ceramic district of Grottaglie by revisiting and re-interpreting the symbols of Apulia. These symbols have ancestral origin, and they resurface in different sites and times of our Earth, everywhere symbolizing new births and abundance. The project takes off from extensive iconographic research, connecting the tradition of Grottaglie to contemporary rituals in a collection of ceramic artifacts.

Contemporary Ceramics in Grottaglie

Garbaha - contemporary Ceramics in Grottaglie

Hazel is a small, shrubby tree that can be found in woodlands, gardens, and grasslands. It is famous for its fruits hazelnuts that appear in late summer.
Hazel is one of the most useful trees for its bendy stems. Weaving with strips of hazel is a rare craft. This is an ancient art only a few people know about, and even fewer know how to do it. Splitting strips of hazel from a rod, then turning them into ribbons and weaving them into traditional frame baskets is almost lost. 

We have a few artisans in Slovenia that are still practicing this craft and Cvetka is one of them. In Slovenia hazel is traditionally used for making baskets and rakes. In this cooperation project, we would be exploring new possibilities. In a nutshell, we would be making hazel lights.


The Hazel tree (Corylus avellana) grows widely throughout much of Europe and is famous for its fruit, hazelnuts, that appear in late summer. But this tree has many other benefits that are less well known and it is one of the most useful trees for its flexible stems used in wickerwork and agricultural fencing.

Hazel also has a reputation for being a magical tree, deeply wise, a bringer of insight and flashes of inspiration. Mythology states that a hazel rod protects one from evil spirits.

Weaving the mythology into the objects that we place inside our homes might bring some magic charm. By splitting strips of hazel from a rod, then turning them into ribbons and weaving them with traditional Slovenian wicker techniques into our unique hazel lights, we aim to bring seen and unseen qualities into the ambiance of our homes.

Hazel Wave

The idea proposes a series of vases from copper and brass, made together with Victor Caldarar. All vases have an inner and an outer layer of material and the walls of each are imagined to be doubled, with a sealed layer of air in between.
A bold outer shape is made of copper, while the inner one is a simple volume made of brass, creating a strong contrast between them. The aesthetic of each object tries to materialize the idea of an inner side that exists in each and can only be seen through an exercise of observation. 
Once the volume is filled with water, the perception of the user is deformed by the fact that the water does not touch the outer layer, as well as by the center of weight placed elsewhere than expected.

"Inner side of the shape" is a series of vases, made together with coppersmith Victor Caldarar. The objects are imagined to be made out of a combination of copper and brass, each having an inner and an outer layer of material. The walls of each object are imagined to be doubled, having a gap of air in between. 
Once the volume is filled with water, the perception of the user is deformed by the fact that the water does not touch the outer layer, as well as by the center of weight placed elsewhere than expected.

"Inner side of the shape", a copper and brass set of vases made together with Victor Caldarar

Inner side of the shape

The Greek chair is a traditional chair that we can find in most restaurants, bars and cafés  in Greece. The materials used are: wood for the main structure of the chair and wicker for the seat. The Greek chair is very robust and is designed to resist chocks and messy storage. 

The assembly system participates to the aesthetic of the chair: it is the artisanal trademark, the symbol that holds all the different pieces of the chair together. It is a practical and symbolic design. Placed in angle and build by mortise and tenon, the system does not require any glue, and all the different parts can be disassembled if one is broken and needs to be rebuilt. If one piece is broken, you can preserve the whole chair by replacing the single broken piece instead of throwing it away. 



Traditional Greek taverna chair made for comfort

Kafenio

Upscale copper based home goods, modern designs that value artisanship from Sarajevo.

Hand Made in Sarajevo

Mangala 2022

A Spoon at a Time

Peris for co/rizom

The Association Made of Cattail (AMC) is a Hungarian Association founded 20 years ago by people who wanted to preserve the local cattail-weaving tradition. They create both functional and decorative objects using traditional weaving techniques. Our trials showed that while they have excellent skills and motivation, their current products lack differentiation and premium looks. Therefore, their perceived value is too low compared to how manual labor intense (and hence, expensive) it is to produce them. Our project aims to create new collections with a USP, utilizing new materials and touches of color in bigger and more contemporary products. We also want to introduce new process elements (documentation, measurements) to increase internal production efficiency.

AMC, the Association Made of Cattail is specialised in cattail weaving, a traditional craft from Tapé, Hungary. When woven, long cattail stalks change into beautifully textured surfaces. The natural expression of the raw material has a comforting feel and a smooth tactility. With SLICE, our team gives the raw material another dimension: the one of furnitures. The flexibility of woven cattail is here applied on curved wooden structures. These functional furnitures keep the organic feeling and tactile aspect of their main raw material.

Sculptural furniture made of cattail

SLICE for co/rizom

An edition of 7 chairs, inspired by the rich local Romanian heritage. Antique chairs from the Ethnographic Museum in Beius Romania were the trigger to develop a contemporary interpretation of this folkloristic objects. Complemented by  pillows from Wiener Times to truly propel this collection into a current universe. 

Tucked away in a small Transylvanian town we not only discovered Vasilica Isăcescu - a traditional wood carver collecting wild herbs to make a living but also antiques folk chairs in the local museum. We immediately recognised the iconic strength of these objects & created seven ‘little monsters’. We paired them with patchwork pillows created by Wiener Times & launched the collection at Collectible in Brussels. 
Available through the co/rizom sales network.

Little Monsters

Talpe for co/rizom

BORJGALI creates objects that connect Zaza to his roots. Objects that are covered in archaic symbols carved deeply into the wood - relating to a world he has lost. This is not a sentimental notion but a critical part of Zaza's identity & that of thousands of Georgian IDPs 'Internally Displaced People' from South Ossetia who are now living in a settlement near Tbilisi. BORJGALI is recovering memory - one movement of the chisel at a time - preserving knowledge while educating students & sharing the cultural traditions of his ancestors with the world.

Tserovani for co/rizom

co/rizom designed collection for Victor Clopotar, Romania.

Victor Clopotar is a traditional Roma Artisan from Transylvania. Born into a family of Caldarari, he has followed the footsteps of his ancestors and trained as a coppersmith. From April 10th, he will be presenting his work and latest collaboration with co/rizom at @homofaber in Venice, an exhibition dedicated to the very best in European craftsmanship.
"His talent is phenomenal - not only his three-dimensional imagination, but also his unconditional accuracy." says @nadja_zerunian, co/rizom’s creative dynamo

VCR Exclusive

I would like to form a POD together with Martin Petermann, a metal craftsman in Vienna, and a Business Developer (I would appreciate your help as to who might be the best fit for this project). 
I am fascinated by the metal casting craft that Mr. P practices in his workshop. I have been to his workshop and I am a familiar with his craft. For the project I would like to cast functional yet sculptural objects together with Mr. Petermann. I imagine objects like a set of bowls, containers or other objects for a table setting.  I can well imagine that there will be a play of different surfaces, different weights and sizes. In advance I would like to talk to Mr. P and hear from his side what is important to him about his craft. So that these insights can be incorporated into the project. 

A collection of aluminum-casted vessels, that embrace the imperfections that occur during the process of metal casting. Instead of removing seams and flaws of the casted object, the design highlights these elements and uses them as a focal point of the objects. The form language is inspired by simple, archaic, constructed forms playing with proportion. 

Rabas Guss for co/rizom

Vessels of Imperfection

Starting from the premise that there are powerful, symbolic objects in any interior design and the rug  is usually the one that "holds the room together", but also acknowledging the rich history of wall tapestries, especially in the Balkans, we propose a collection of objects between contemporary art and functional design, namely a series of floor carpets and wall tapestries. They will be designed by a graphic designer, having a contemporary and minimal aesthetic, but they will be realised using an old craft. These will be thought of as a collection of 5 objects, 2 large carpets designed for the floors and a series of three wall tapestries, which will defy the boundaries of object design, crossing into the area of ​​contemporary art.
 

Weaving Stories from Balkan Heritage -  The Contemporary Abduction is a collection of carpets and wall tapestries, with a minimal and contemporary aesthethic discourse, but produced using a very old technique of weaving woolen carpets from Romania. 

Starting from the premise that there are powerful, symbolic objects in any interior design and the rug or is usually the one that "holds the room together", but also acknowledging the very rich history of wall tapestries in the Balkans, the collection The Contemporary Abduction is composed of a series of objects on the border between functional design and contemporary art, referring to the history of Balkan tapestries and investigating in the same time the way in which immaterial heritage can coexist with contemporary design and can contribute to the preservation of local narratives, generating a cultural mix between old and new, between functional and decorative.



Weaving Stories from Balkan Heritage- The Contemporary Abduction

Weaving Stories from Balkan Heritage -  The Contemporary Abduction

Training rural women to harvest water hyacinth from local water bodies and converting it in beautifully crafted home decor products, thereby addressing environmental menace as well as creating dignified livelihoods for rural population. 

MITIMETH is an award winning women-owned Social Enterprise rethinking, designing and producing unique home décor, art décor, gifts, stationery, baskets, fashion accessories, dining-ware and rope from water hyacinth and agricultural residues. Training and working with over 150 Artisans in Nigeria.

Woven Wonders from Water Hyacinth

A team of embroiderers have taken on a legacy on the verge of extinction by recovering centuries-old patterns and techniques. By applying this knowledge to a range of products ZESTREA ensure the continued relevance and survival of their craft. Working with natural fibers and using hand embroidery ZESTREA delivers beautiful hand made textile household items adapted to contemporary needs


A team of embroiderers have taken on a legacy on the verge of extinction by recovering centuries-old patterns and techniques. By applying this knowledge to a range of products ZESTREA ensure the continued relevance and survival of their craft. Working with natural fibers and using hand embroidery ZESTREA delivers beautiful hand made textile household items adapted to contemporary needs

Zestrea for co/rizom

Hand woven carpets at the end of Albania.

Had woven carpets next to Shkodra lake. Locally sourced and locally processed wool.

Project Overview