Ethnodesign: A Response to Massification & a Question of Identity

khjpleciaki2.jpg, default, Katarzyna Herman-Janiec 'Pleciaki' [‘Weavlings’], photo: courtesy of the artist, Ethnodesign: A Response to Massification & a Question of Identity

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Over a century old, it has recently undergone a rebirth. Some elevate it to the status of art; others speak of it as a passing fashion. Where does Polish design inspired by folk art stand today?

In search of an old style

Advocates of simplicity, the natural harmony of function and beautiful form, admirers of artisanal production and handicrafts, saw a decline of design in the evolution of industry. Determined to confront the mediocrity massively flooding the market, they launched the Arts and Crafts movement in mid-19th century Britain. They combined theory and practice, spreading knowledge of traditional craft techniques and insisting on the authenticity and uniqueness of products. Their ideas found a worldwide following.

The origins of Polish ethnodesign, then known as regionalism, folklore or rustic style, date back to the late 19th century. Overzealous researchers even indicate a specific date: 1892, when construction of the ‘Koliba’ villa began, implementing the tenets of the Zakopane style created by Stanisław Witkiewicz. In the 1910s, the Kraków Workshops were established, focusing on cooperation between artists and artisans. The Warsaw-based art cooperative ‘Ład’ soon replaced this organisation. The approach to folk art changed, seeking creative interpretations and fresh perspectives rather than simply copying patterns.

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Customer looking at goods in Cepelia, 1968, Warsaw, photo: Andrzej Wiernicki / Forum

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After the war, ceramics (the famous Włocławek faience), wickerwork, decorative arts and textiles experienced a renaissance. Wanda Telakowska co-founded the Instytut Wzornictwa Przemysłowego [Institute of Industrial Design]. However, during the communist era, folklore was primarily Cepelia [Headquarters of the Folk and Artistic Industry]. It brought artists together, shaped tastes, was the country’s showcase abroad and was a tool in the hands of official propaganda. It was reorganised after the political transformation. Today, it operates as a foundation but is no longer as significant of an entity as it once was.

But when Polish design became mass produced and superficialised, the dormant folklore returned in a new form. Young designers have been so vocal in their dialogue with the past that in 2010 the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków organised a festival whose title explicitly asked: ‘What is ethnodesign?’ (a question that still has no definitive answer). A decade in design is quite a long time, so you can try to summarise certain phenomena.

How has ethnodesign evolved in recent years? It has moved from the countryside to the cities for good, becoming more elegant, unique and increasingly forward-looking. It does not lack a sense of humour and distance from the prevailing trends. It proves that you can have fun with tradition, while also respecting it.

The taste of childhood

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Zofia Stryjeńska, ‘Czapla’ [Heron], Kraków Workshop Association studios, 1917 or 1918, photo: the Ethnographic Museum in Kraków

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Purple, pink, green, brown, orange, a gaping maw in a quasi-smile and a long wriggling tail, this is how Zofia Stryjeńska imagined the Wawel Dragon. Her slender heron or crane uses a different colour palette: the white trunk is covered by a yellow wing that contrasts with its blue head. On the other hand, the peacock proudly displays a whole range of skills: from geometrised form to fine, painterly decoration. They created human and animal figures at the Kraków Workshop association, which the artist joined in 1918. She designed wooden figures that alluded to Polish folklore in form and content and usually decorated them herself (sometimes by the children who attended the workshops). Stryjeńska received a distinction for her series of toys at the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Industry in Paris (where she also won four other awards). Her works continue to captivate with fantasy and colour.

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‘Kuźnia Skały’ [Stone’s Forge] (Marcin Skalski), Ptaki [Birds] photo: press materials / targirzeczyladnych.pl

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The texture of the works is no less critical – both when designing for children and adults. Marcin Skalski keeps this in mind, so he carefully polishes his figurines 'so they feel like a wooden handle of a traditional tool, worn out by years of use'. As he admits, he draws inspiration from the applied arts of the Małopolska countryside: the wrought-iron wheels of a wooden cart or tools such as a scythe. Unlike Stryjeńska’s multicoloured designs, which are a hundred years older, his birds are 'decorated' by nature. You can see the knots and rings of local wood varieties – oak, ash or walnut. The crows are charred, which gives them a deep black colour. The form takes on a minimalist profile: the birds are shaped like an inverted teardrop, with a steel beak and legs. The artist works under the banner ‘Kuźnia Skały’ [Stone's Forge], and all the figurines are handmade. Combining noble craft with modern design, he engages in a dialogue with tradition.

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Nobo Design, ‘Krakowskie Baby’ [Kraków Hags] toy, photo: courtesy of the artists

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Nobo Design, "Krakowsie Baby", zabawka, fot. dzięki uprzejmości artystów

The bird motif was eagerly used by folk artists fascinated by the freedom of birds, their ability to fly or their singing, which inspired musicians. They were believed to herald spring and to bring good luck or illness, and the way they pecked at grain was used for divination. The cuckoo’s clucking was said to bring great wealth, and the rooster symbolised fertility. According to one legend recorded by Oskar Kolberg, God’s creation was a peacock, but naked. The devil gave him colourful clothes but didn’t manage to decorate his legs before the morning hen crowed. The bird figurines, apart from their aesthetic value, thus have narrative potential. By entertaining, they teach, just like Nobo Design’s designs steeped in tradition. Nobo's creators Aleksandra Pięta and Piotr Wiśniewski have added a touch of humour to the educational value of ‘Krakowskie Baby’ [Kraków Hags]. The wooden dolls need to be assembled, painted and elements of folk costume glued onto them – all according to the instructions. Then you can wonder why the ‘Baba z Ojcowa’ [Hag from Ojców] has a garland on her head, what the corset of a Bronowice resident is made of and what the embroidery on a Zalipianka woman’s wardrobe represents. Nobo Design not only familiarises children with the history of folk costumes but also develops their imagination. Who wouldn’t want to be an artist for a while?

Nobo Design Projects [gallery]

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The design duo also has a 'tasteful' Podhale design, i.e. a series of packaging for culinary products. ‘Flavours of Podhale’ visually refer to the ornamentation of the region – on cartons of milk, bryndza, oscypek or butter, we can find a refreshed pattern of a parzenica (an embroidery ornament of highlander trousers), a brass pin for men’s shirts, a rosette or an openwork heart.

Close encounters with tradition

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Marta Flisykowska, ‘Transuarium trialektyczne’ [Trialectic Transect], photo: http://flisykowska.com

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Marta Flisykowska, designer and lecturer at the Gdansk Academy of Fine Arts, has moved away from citing decorative motifs. Her Kashubian table is a three-metre trapezoid, with a base (called the top) of 150 cm and the other side of 75 cm. The shape simply reflects the hierarchy of the people feasting: the host sitting at the top can see all the guests, while the narrowing end is conducive to informal conversations and gossip. The tabletop remains austere. It is made of bevelled pine planks (a signature tree of northern Poland), and the regular line of knots catches the eye. The natural style is broken up by the distinctive colour of the underside and legs of the table, called ‘Transuarium trialektyczne’ [Trialectic Transect] by the creator. Blue seems a little extravagant but is identified with the region as the dominant colour in Kashubian embroidery. Traditionally, it comes in three shades: cornflower blue is reminiscent of the depths of lakes, navy blue mesmerises like the depths of the sea, and classic blue symbolises the sky. Many a legend could be born at such a table.

Having rejected literalism and, at the same time, superficiality, Flisykowska went one step further. She has created an authorial design that is difficult to identify. ‘Fokus vesiculosus’ represents the endangered brown alga. And although the algal ornament is unlikely to take root in Kashubian culture, it marks an exciting direction of interdisciplinary exploration. She equates art with science and civilisation with nature. The designer makes it clear that contemporary design should not only dialogue with tradition but, perhaps above all, look to the future of our planet. Flisykowska treats design as a meeting of local and global cultural spaces.

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‘Snopek’ vase, designed by Marek Cecuła, 2006, photo: Kwiatkowska Małgorzata / National Museum in Warsaw

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Marek Cecuła also used the floral motif in his reinterpretation of cereal sheaves, which were characteristic of the rural landscape before the invasion of combine harvesters. The vase he designed consists of six porcelain tubes wrapped in a silicone ring, which can be moved around and thereby influence its shape. Like the Nobo Design duo in their ‘Krakowskie Baby’ collection, the artist focused on the interaction between designer, user and object. The ‘Snopek’ vase is an example of how to translate folklore into the language of design in an original way.

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Karina Marusińska, ‘Jakubki’, porcelain, 2009, manufacturer: Meble VOX, photo: Justyna Fedec

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Karina Marusińska, "Jakubki", porcelana, 2009, producent: Meble VOX, fot. Justyna Fedec

Karina Marusinska’s ‘Jakubki’ mugs are an equally subtle reference to folklore. As in the ‘Kuźnia Skały’ bird series, texture plays an important role in this work. The porcelain white of the vessel is decorated with grooves imitating natural materials: wood, wicker, paper, and linen. They not only make it easier to hold the cup but also provide a discreet play of light and shade. An excellent complement to the ‘Jakubki’ cup can be the porcelain, multifunctional ‘Niekoniecznie podstawki’ [Not necessarily saucers] by Bogdan Kosak with a recognisable pattern of Cieszyn lace. The artist has many works rooted in the region, such as an espresso cup that corresponds to the interior architecture of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra building in Katowice. After all, what is local is familiar, closer to us.

Cut & spliced

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‘Mohohej! DIA’, carpet, designed by Magdalena Lubinska, Michal Kopaniszyn, photo: courtesy of the designers

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The cutout has become the undisputed ruler of ethnodesigners’ imagination. It entered the world’s salons with a bang even before it became firmly established in contemporary Polish design. The ‘Mohohej! DIA’ from the debut collection of the Moho Design studio won several international awards and in 2008 won the most important one – the Oscar of design, i.e. the Red Dot Design Award. The creators used a folk cutout, scaled it down (its diameter is 180 cm), modernised the manufacturing technique (laser-cut openwork in felted wool) and changed its function (from decorative to aesthetic-utilitarian). After such an introduction, the Polish pavilion design in Shanghai for EXPO 2010 should no longer surprise anyone, but the cutout motif – this time in an architectural arrangement – has once again won over a large group of enthusiasts.

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Moho Design, ‘Koko’ rug, photo: courtesy of the designers

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AZE Design duo designs at the intersection of tradition and modernity. With their work, they show their respect for handicrafts while at the same time surprising us with their technique. They wove the ‘Nodus’ carpet from 1500 metres of cotton rope, while the ‘Folk’ carpet, made from cloth, features pixelated patterns native to Podlasie. Joanna Rusin’s works also straddle the border between fabric and design. Her rugs are three-dimensional and interactive. The sculpture-like ‘Pasanka’ [‘Stripey’] electrifies with its colourful composition reproduced from the stripes of Łowicz. We ourselves can customise the ‘DOT’ carpet for our interior by using coloured yarn, interweaving it with small holes cut in the felt material. Rusin, like Nobo Design, does not offer a finished product but forces us to make an artistic effort, to reflect on tradition, and the resulting items bear a tangible trace of the user’s experience and emotions.

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Joanna Rusin & Agnieszka Czop, 'Koguty' [Roosters] rug (2005), photo: courtesy of the designers

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Joanna Rusin & Agnieszka Czop, Roosters, carpet, (2005), photo: courtesy of the designers

Ethnodesign should not duplicate patterns, but creatively transform them and tell a new story without forgetting the roots. It’s also great if the creative approach comes with a touch of humour. In this spirit, Katarzyna Herman-Janiec of Protein Design created containers that are also pouffes with interchangeable, multicoloured seats. Pleciaki [‘Weavelings’] is an example of playing with form and craft, as the stools resemble wicker baskets and were woven from... old newspapers. The same was true of Pleciuga [‘Weave-in’], a mobile chest reminiscent of those from country cottages. In turn, the ‘SHE!’ lamp, which conquered Seoul and Israel, among others, is a simple yet playful variation on the theme of a Łowicz or Podhale skirt forming a lampshade. Herman-Janiec admits that she draws inspiration for her folk designs from her mother’s hometown of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, which the artist enjoys visiting.

Works by Katarzyna Herman-Janiec – Image Gallery

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Retro-style

A sense of humour and a distance to fashion set the Goshico brand apart from other domestic handbag manufacturers. Małgorzata Kotlonek-Horoch (designer) and Agnieszka Kotlonek-Wójcik (manager) conquered the market in 2008, combining solid felt with folk embroidery. Conquering the hearts of Polish and foreign customers, over the following years, they created elegant and unusual products to return to their roots in autumn of 2019. Handbags and laptop cases with a rooster motif, a shopping bag with ethno-print or an embroidered brooch in the shape of a toadstool are some of the realisations from the ‘Etnoshico’ collection.

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Goshico, bag, embroidered brooch, Etnoshico coloured laptop case, photo: courtesy of goshico.com

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This interpretation of native folklore may not be to everyone’s taste. Still, Goshico’s production consciousness is admirable: the use of local raw materials, ecological responsibility (repair and reuse of material scraps), and above all, sewing the bags in their own manufactory. The autumn collection under the ‘Folk me good’ motto was created due to the sisters’ collaboration with Polish artisans, so it is not a purely profit-oriented mass production. What counts is quality, craft and character.

Thumbnail — Katarzyna Kmita, ‘Jaga Hupało’ from the series ‘Kodry’ 140 x 70 cm, 2016, photo: courtesy of the artist

The latter cannot be denied to Kasia Kmita’s artistic cutouts, which comment on reality in an original way. It started in 2004 with a series of logotypes combining Polish folklore with Western pop culture. The moment Poland joined the European Union, the discussion about locality, tradition, and the individual language of a nation’s culture flared up anew, and the political and social changes also determined the aesthetic ones. In Kmita’s case, art corresponds with the media and advertising world. Her later large-format handmade cutouts, or Bilbordy [Billboards] are a response to thoughtless copying. On the other hand, the 2017 and 2019 ‘Kodry’ series, which refers to rectangular decorations of village chambers showing scenes of peasant life, is about the present: shopping at the mall, working in a corporation, and exquisite relaxation.

Although Kmita’s cutouts belong to the visual arts, they perfectly illustrate what ethnodesign is about more subtly. It doesn’t just have a utilitarian function, but contains narrative potential, conveys tradition in a modern form, becomes part of our identity and provokes discussion.

Translated from Polish by Matt Wehr, August 2022.

Katarzyna Kmita's Cutouts [Image Gallery]

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