With a background in furniture design from Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe in the UK and industrial design at the Koszalin University of Technology in Poland, in 2009 he co-founded the Kompott Studio together with Maja Ganszyniec and Krystian Kowalski. Wood is his favourite material to work with, which he sometimes combines with metal to create earthy pieces with a contemporary edge. His works range from whimsical lamps to a hotel chain for bees - at the behest of Greenpeace.
The works of Nikodem Szpunar and Kamila Niedzwiedzka have been described as having a "certain lightness and airiness". Made of natural materials and designed as simple, unornamented shapes, they often take their inspiration from the past, in the process, recycling the best of the old guard and giving it a new twist. One telling example is the Bastard armchair, which was put together using old pieces of furniture put together to create an entirely new object.
When designing for kids, health and safety are at the top of the checklist. Bajo's toys check all the boxes, plus they've got the fine lines of a well-designed product. Since Wojciech Bajor started the Bajo company in 1989, he's designed and produced more than 500 different toys - all made of quality wood. Characterized by their smooth, rounded shapes, his toys were developed in cooperation with a team of experts in child development, making them fun, safe and educational. Bajor's eye for small-scale design continues to garner notice and commissions - his latest project was a wooden model for Porsche. His toys are still sold in 35 countries all over the world.
The work of Nobo Designs's Aleksandra Pięta and Piotr Wiśniewski is considered something of a paradox in the design world, with its simple objects inspired by tradition and yet geared, nonetheless, to address contemporary needs. Their series of packaging designs for regional foodstuffs drawn upon age-old folk designs revive the forgotten cultural treasures of regional Poland. As does their project encouraging parents and youngsters to "rediscover" traditional toys from the Żywiec region. They call their approach a "mix of craft science, storytelling, propaganda and philosophy". The duo is also behind the Virtual Museum of Polish Design, a freely available web space containing collected knowledge about the history of design in Poland and elsewhere.
The artist, sculptor, curator and designer has headed up his own studio since 2001. As one of the few wood turners in Poland today, he strives to share his love for craftsmanship with children and young adults. He was brought up in the countryside, helping his father felling trees and carpentry. Like Maciej Gąsienica-Giewont, he was initially inspired by the work of American designers. His first project was a series of waterproof pieces of bathroom equipment made entirely from wood, including sinks, bathtubs and shower cabins. He tries to inspire young Polish designers with his approach, curating the collective show Drzewo (Tree), presenting the fruits of their efforts.
A one-man initiative founded by Maciej Gąsienica-Giewont, an artist from Podhale Highlander region in the south of Poland who claims wood can talk and he's its most adept listener. Inspired by the work of American artist and woodturner James Prestini of the 1930s, he rediscovered a centuries-old woodturning technique. He creates unique bowls and vases that goes with the grain and natural patterns of oak, cherry and elm. He limits his artistic interference to a minimum, using no ornamentation, instead highlighting the natural qualities and texture of the material itself.
Fawory summons the spirit of the latter half of the last decade, engaging in a witty, often personal dialogue with the era. They tend to hunt down original objects from the period, only to tear them apart and rework them. Their armchairs series, with their upholstery ripped out, are recreated to highlight their fine original structures. The studio's Recomposition line was created by becoming attuned to the underlying form of their reference objects and interfering only subtly in the superficial details. Often they'll use futuristic accents to give a different character to these pieces - from PCV piping to safety belts. Personalisation and individuality are at the heart of their process.
Malafor's objects are always simple in form and environmentally friendly - and they always make a statement. Their Blow Sofa was made out of recycled paper bags inflated to inflated to a functional size. Agata Kulik-Pomorska and Paweł Pomorski have also toyed with the number of possibilities offered by an ordinary block of wood, which resulted in one of their best-known projects - Stumps (2005) - a series of raw wooden stumps dressed up with metal or paint. Second Life (2009) took everyday tools and gave them a new purpose, such as the shovel adopted as a backrest, perfect for sitting at the beach.
His furniture designs include a chair made of ivy, a chair with roots, a bed made of cereal, a table made of earth and a set of rocking stairs. These objects lie somewhere between sculpture and applied art, using natural materials such as branches, straw, earth, grass, hay, reeds and wood, in composition with bricks, textiles and metals. He has designed and created around two hundred sculptures, spatial arrangements and pieces of furniture. Chairs are his form of choice - he says he dreams of fields full of chairs made of all sorts of materials - even water bottles.
For our final introduction, we're straying from the strictly wood-oriented theme to present one of the most creative and eco-minded designers. More than a mere modern-day doll maker, Gagani takes a decidedly green approach to her craft. She not only hunts down original fabrics at flea markets and second-hand shops, but washes them in biodegradable detergent, before using her design magic to create fairy-like plush creatures. Her one-of-a-kind toys have a spirit all their own - from bashful foxes and sweet owls to personable humans. Trained in art restoration and conservation, she has also created large-scale sculptures for parks and other outdoor areas.
Author: Agnes Monod-Gayraud, 28.07.2014