Cool as craft: Alternative souvenir shop takes centre stage during ICFF

22 : 05 : 2014 Craft : Indigenous : Hand-crafted

New York - Designers Karim Charlebois-Zariffa, Benjamin Harrison Bryant and Paul Marcus Fuog spent three months in a farming community on the outskirts of Ubud, Bali. 

Batik Pocket Scarf by Field Experiments Batik Pocket Scarf by Field Experiments
Batik Pocket Scarf by Field Experiments Batik Pocket Scarf by Field Experiments
Batik Pocket Scarf by Field Experiments Pattern Study by Field Experiments
Bedcover souvenir by Field Experiment Bedcover souvenir by Field Experiment

Partnering with local craftsmen, they created a considered collection of objects that turn the traditional aesthetic of a souvenir on its head. 'In Bali each village is known for a different rich craft ranging from kite making to masonry,' Bryant tells LS:N Global. 'Field Experiments is about an open exchange and conversation with the local makers – each day we collaboratively conducted design experiments.'

Applying a fresh energy to traditional souvenirs, the objects are anything but generic. Including vibrant marbleised ad hoc furniture, abstract limestone posters and totemic still-life paintings, the collection is imbued with a tactile human quality while being graphic and contemporary. The eclectic collection of objects and textiles is being presented for the first time, at Sight Unseen OFFSITE during ICFF alongside a small publication documenting the daily experiments, portraits of the makers and diaries of the cross-cultural exchange.

For more examples of meaningful collaborations within the global craft sphere read our Textile Futures work in progress review.

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