studio celia-hannes works with cape town craftsmen for frugal collection

hannes schreckensberger and célia picard have applied the local techniques of traditionally-woven grass textiles to contemporary devices.

Celia-Hannes edited by justin paul villanueva October 18, 2014 2 min

studio celia-hannes works with cape town craftsmen for frugal collection
photo © celia-hannes
all images courtesy of studio celia-hannes

hannes schreckensberger and célia picard founder of franco-austrian design studio celia-hannes stayed for six weeks in cape town. here, they attended the world design capital 2014 to collaborate with local craftsmen from limited resource areas. the duo did an observation of frugal and simple techniques and materials to highlight the potential of their contemporary interpretations, geared to work in both the context of the northern hemisphere as well as the south. eventually, they collaborated with a metal wire bender, as well as a group of grass weavers in the nearby townships, and started a creation process which was a direct exchange of skills resulting in the ‘frugal collection’.

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
grass wall mats with incorporate steel hanging elements
photo © celia-hannes

at vienna design week 2014, the set was shown exhibiting all of the practical uses its pieces present. the hexagonal tiles can be used for covering interiors, combining acoustic elements with a dash of texture and color. they can also be joined together to form hanging room dividers and thus, make the most of limited private and storage space. meanwhile, the mats that incorporate the steel hanging elements are based on the visual language of the xhosa people. they could be used as clothes racks in the bedroom or in the kitchen for holding small, lightweight objects. by seeking new uses for the traditionally-woven grass textiles, historically used as sleeping pads, studio celia-hannes has not only helped maintain a local craft, but has also developed products that are functional and appropriate for the people of the communities in which they were produced.

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
the forms mimic the xhosa language
photo © celia-hannes

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
metal wire stool
photo © celia-hannes

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
loom
photo © celia-hannes

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
holding up a metal component
photo © celia-hannes

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
detail of the mat
photo © celia-hannes

celia hannes frugal collection cape town south africa
the exhibition at gallery harald bichler_rauminhalt, vienna design week 2014
photo © celia-hannes

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.