Challenge
To design an object inspired by Polish folk art, translating intangible cultural heritage into a contemporary, functional form.
The challenge was to avoid nostalgia and ornament, treating folk tradition as a system of creativity rather than a decorative style.
Solution
Art direction focused on reinterpretation through structure, material and creation. Instead of aesthetics, the project explores how folk values, such as simplicity, rhythm, material honesty and collective authorship that can inform a contemporary object and process.
Design system
The chair combines a cross-based wooden construction with a hand-knitted seat inspired by the "Fajerka" motif from Kraków folk cut-outs.
Material choices, proportions and repetition form a coherent system connecting object, craft and narrative.
Outcome
The Krakow Folk Chair is both a functional object and a manifesto - a contemporary interpretation of folk culture through design, material and process.
The project demonstrates independent concept development, cross-disciplinary thinking and the ability to merge design, craft and storytelling into a cohesive whole.
Disciplines
Art Direction, Concept Development, Object Design, Craft-Based Design, Publication Design
