2022

exhibition: Matter

This body of work started with an observation. I noticed a boulder which had lichen growing on it, but only where the sun could not reach. The result was a frozen shadow, a fixed image which would always imply the direction from which the sun originally hit the rock, even after the sun went down.

The pieces that comprise Flash Set use the same principle to translate a form into an image. We carved gypsum cement using one of a few basic tools, and spray painted it from a hard angle. The resulting objects are more similar to still life photos than sculptures, using the impression of light to transform a composition of marks into a picture.

We created three standard typologies (a wall-mounted piece, a large vessel, and a small vessel) to use as a framework for our research. Each piece represents a different experiment, elaborating on the one before by slightly altering the tool, process, or sequence of steps used to make it. The result is a grid of interconnected ideas, documenting the evolution of an improvised craft.

gypsum cement, spray paint
various dimensions

2022

exhibition: Slanted/Enchanted

In early 2022, we curated Slanted/Enchanted, an exhibition which celebrated improvised production techniques. Twenty international artists and designers each contributed an object which was made without outsourcing or digital fabrication. The exhibition took place at ESP in Toronto.

Our contribution was the Caterpillar Tables, a series of coffee tables made using a mechanical substitute for the industrial process of bent lamination. Standard hardware sandwiches the tables’ perforated legs and plywood rails, creating a composite structure. Varying the distance between perforations in the rails controls the curvature of each table base. The form of each base speaks to its respective top, a tempered-glass tractor windshield. Caterpillar Tables possess an idiosyncratic kind of rationality, reflecting the small workshop and basic tools with which they were made.

Exhibition participants include Adrianus Kundert, Calen Knauf, Castor, Chris Kabel, dach&zephir, Earth Landing Project, Evey Kwong, Jamie Wolfond, Joyce Lin, Julian Gregory, Keillor MacLeod, Klemens Schillinger, Marco Campardo, Maria Hupfield & Kathryn Walker, Rebecca Sun Collins, Shigeki Fujishiro, Sina Sohrab, Studio Satël, Théo Leclercq & Camille Viallet and Tom Chung.

photos: Sean Davidson

birch aircraft plywood, pine, tractor windshields, hardware
small: 70 x 72 x 42 cm
medium: 109 x 85 x 42 cm
large: 150 x 91 x 42 cm

2021

client: Gilda Editions

The Type Vases are a series of five characters made by cutting and welding together sections of stock brass tubing. The result is neither entirely handmade nor industrial, speaking a unique language that exists in between.

brass
various dimensions

2020

prototype

Named after the open-ended Dutch building toy, the Kapla Shelving System is a modular shelving unit defined by a solid wood frame and aluminum shelves. Five simple components can be combined in various configurations to form shelving units of two heights and infinite lengths. The Kapla Shelving system is an adaptable and strikingly clean solution for homes and offices alike.

photos: Mike Tjioe

aluminum, douglas fir
shelf height: 35 cm
module width: 116 cm
shelf depth: 24 cm

2021

exhibition: Basketclub @ Karimoku

Co-organized with Adrianus Kundert in the spring of 2020, Basketclub is a digital environment where designers and craftspeople exchange ideas about basketry.

In late 2020, Japanese furniture manufacturer, Karimoku invited Basketclub to take part in the inaugural exhibition at its Tokyo Showroom. Twelve members of Basketclub created pieces which respond to the uses behind traditional Japanese woven baskets such as carrying, drying, storing, cooking and cleaning.

Our contribution was the Tool Basket. Constructed using Kagome, a traditional Japanese triaxial weaving technique, the Basket features the unexpected intersection of a traditional basket and a toolbox-like handle. The result a unique container which is both useful and evocative.

reed, analine dye
35 x 35 x 41 cm

2018-2020

prototype

The Owl Lamp applies a rudimentary physical principle to create a sophisticated type of motion. As a person turns the stem, a flexible hose transmits rotary force to the shade which enables it to infinitely orbit a stationary light source. The rotation of the shade continuously transforms the direction and character of the lamp.

The Owl Lamp was born from an extensive iterative process, originating from a curiosity for drinking straws and flexible driveshafts.

photos: Mike Tjioe

aluminum, vinyl, nylon, hardware
163 x 102 x 51 cm

2020

client: Ferm Living

Each unit that comprises the 2×2 Organizer series is made by folding two sheets of metal two times and welding them together. The result is a simple set of office storage modules with the inherent ability to register when stacked.

steel
23 x 13 x 28 cm

2019

prototype

The Stamp Lamp is comprised of four identical pressed steel components and a simple off-the-shelf cord-set. The result is a uniquely simple table lamp defined by the intersection of two contrasting forms. Made from steel

photos: Jeroen van der Wielen

aluminum
17 x 17 x 33 cm

2020

exhibition: Aluminum Group

Aluminum Group was a design exhibition which took place at Toronto’s ESP gallery during design week. Co-organized with MSDS Studio, the show saw 15 Canadian designers come together to create a collection of machined aluminum objects. Including both practical prototypes and pieces of sculpture, the show covers diverse range of themes unified by a single medium.

Our contribution was the Thread lamp. An upward-facing light source bounces off a milled aluminum shade to emit a bright but indirect glow. Threads on the lamp body make it easy to adjust the shade height, changing the angle and intensity of the bounced light.

photos: Mike Tjioe

aluminum
38 x 38 x 33 – 43 cm

2019

prototype

The Frog Vase combines the traditional Japanese Kenzan (or flower frog) and the vessel it resides in to yield a succinct tool for arranging flowers.

photos: Mike Tjioe

aluminum
18 x 15 x 2 cm

2019

prototype

Two seemingly opposing schools of thought come together to form the Diametric Jug. While the relationship between the handle and the body of the jug refers to ancient pottery, the geometric treatment and tubular nature of the jug’s form bears resemblance to those of the Bauhaus movement.

photos: Jeroen van der Wielen

stoneware
29 x 14 x 22 cm

2019

client: in development

A single aluminum profile diverges and reconnects to create the unique structure of the 401 Table. The 401 Table can be easily collapsed and packed flat for efficient shipping.

photos: Mike Tjioe

aluminum
53 x 53 x 45 cm

2017

client: Good Thing

The Arid Umbrella Stand takes advantage of the inherent properties of terracotta. The material is naturally absorbent, wicking away moisture from wet umbrellas inside the container, allowing them to dry rapidly.

terracotta and cork
13 x 20 x 33 cm

2017

exhibition: Norway x New York

A heavyweight indoor / outdoor steel structure highlights the inherent beauty of galvanization, a finishing method found on highway guardrails and lampposts. Its patchy iridescent pattern adds a bit of variety to an otherwise strictly geometric object. Collaboration with Sigve Knutson.

steel
43 x 131 x 32 cm

2015

client: Tetra

The Balance Pipe is a dry herb smoking pipe designed to create a contemporary answer to the heavily stigmatized archetype traditionally hidden in the backs of bodegas and delis. The Pipe’s chamber is pierced by a stem which encompasses both its mouthpiece and its carb, a hole used to clear the chamber once filled.

borosilicate glass
11 x 4 x 3 cm