Archaic

By WGSN Materials team, 10 January 2011

Unearthed / feral / rooted / evolutionary / foraged

Aspiring to a simple, back-to-basics way of living

and consuming, a hunter-gatherer aesthetic is
adopted in order to forage for raw-state
ingredients, harnessing both traditional and longforgotten techniques. Against the backdrop of a
future archaeological landscape, excavated
minerals and porous stone are unearthed and
wild leather rediscovered, all with a sense of
historical permanence.

2012/13, Autumn/winter fall/winter

Research & Reference

Evolutionary design
WGSN 2014

Mitose series by Amba Molly

Hanji Vase By Kwak Chulan

A Vase Grown From Mould by Thomas Pleeging

Amba Molly explores the

possibility of evolution within
design. By taking castes of
four different vessels, two
from the old world and two
from the new, she
systemically divides the
moulds to create generation
after generation of new
ceramic families.

Utilising ancient papermaking techniques, Kwak

Chulan processes only the
essential, functional aspects
of his products, leaving the
rest raw and unfinished. This
emphasis on beauty and
craftsmanship pays homage
to a traditional Korean design
ethos.

Thomas Pleeging combines

oyster mushrooms, mycelia
and cotton fibre in a specially
designed mould to literally
grow his own designs; a
process that only takes a
matter of weeks, making it
possible to cultivate your own
living household objects.

www.ambamolly.nl

www.talerez.com

www.thomaspleeging.nl

Primitive prototyping

Meltware by Maaike Seegers

Dug and Stuff by Peter Marigold, 2010

Supplied with just a stone

bowl, jar and spoon, and a
natural supply of carnauba
wax - a waterproof blend that
comes from Brazilian palm
leaves -Maaike Seegers'
Meltware series encourages

In Peter Marigolds Dug &

Stuff series, the innovative
hybrid vessels take on the
characteristics of both the
terracotta that they are
formed from, and the wooden
log that they are shaped
WGSN 2014

the consumer to produce

crockery according to need.
Creating individual and
bespoke design - every piece
different from the last -the end
product can at any time be
remelted and remoulded.
www.designacademy.nl/Graduates/ManWellBeing

within.
By squeezing the clay
through a hand-carved
hollow, removing, and then
excavating further, before
repeating with more clay,
each vessel grows in size,
developing its own
personality.
www.petermarigold.com

Original glassblowing mould at Piet Hien Eek

exhibition

Age-old techniques and

traditional ways of working
were revisited at Dutch Design
Week 2010. The creative team
at WGSN were inspired by the
ancient process of glass
blowing, using basic materials
such as wood and metal to
create a mould in order to form
the vessel.
www.pietheineek.nl/nl/collectie

Petrified

WGSN 2014

Fossilisation Machine by Austin Houldsworth

As part of the Tatton Park

Biennial, Austin
Houldsworth has developed
2 Million & 1 AD, a prototype
fossilisation machine with the
aim of transforming organic
matter into mineral. Initially
demonstrating the
fossilisation process with a
pineapple and a partridge, the
artist's ultimate goal is the
petrification of a human
being.
www.dezeen.com

Common Holly Ilex Aquifolium by Wycliffe

Stutchbury

By taking a cross section of

fallen or forgotten timber,
whether from a tree or a
discarded Victorian
floorboard, a hidden history is
revealed, showing the
timber's response to its
environment. Wycliffe
Stutchbury is fascinated by
the unfashioned beauty,
durability and vulnerability
that is revealed.
www.wycliffestutchbury.co.uk

Foraging

Mrs Tee the mushroom forager

Super Natural Project by Studio Toogood

Widely regarded as the

worlds foremost authority on
edible wild mushrooms, Mrs
Tee is the only license holder

Studio Toogoods Super

Natural project is dedicated to
foraging and observing in the
English Countryside.
WGSN 2014

Stone oven-baked beetroot prepared with reindeer

blood, juniper, wild blueberries, half-dried
lingonberries and sorrel

In a bid to promote
sustainability within the food
industry, the third annual Cook

entitled to harvest
mushrooms in the New
Forest. Years of research
have given her unrivalled
knowledge and expertise.
www.wildmushrooms.co.uk

Collaborating with La
Fromagerie and Arabeschi di
Latte, The project's Bramble
Cafe serves seasonal foraged
food for an immersive natural
experience.
www.studiotoogood.com

It Raw! event saw some of the

worlds top chefs congregating
in Lapland to forage for food
and create inspiring dishes.
The exquisitely presented
results included ingredients
such as reindeer blood, beach
herbs and wild mushrooms.
www.cookitraw.org

Unearthed

Babel Vessel by Michael Eden

The Babel Vessel is an

extruded QR code made from
lightweight nylon and
designed using 3D software.
The code links directly back
to the earthenware pot that
was the original inspiration in
an interesting combination of
craft with technology, and the
virtual with reality.

Concrete-set bulb

La Trufa house by Ensamble Studio

Cause and effect as a primal

concept is an idea the WGSN
creative team is really behind
this autumn/winter season.
Natural treasures entombed
in clay-like containers are
activated through
nourishment and then grown
and nurtured.

www.edenceramics.co.uk

Designed by Ensamble Studio,

The La Trufa house in northern
Spain is a dreamlike stone
construction that blends into
the surrounding woodland.
Built up layer by layer in an
excavated pit, concrete was
gradually poured between the
earth and an inner construction
of straw bales that were later
removed.
www.abitare.it

WGSN 2014