Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of natural rattan, and inexpensive furniture made from the vine-like plant is, unsurprisingly, ubiquitous across the archipelago. But not all rattan designs are created equal; Jakarta-based product designer Alvin Tjitrowirjo, for one, elevates and reinterprets the humble material under his eponymous alvinT label. Working with local artisans, he explores rattan’s versatility by dyeing it with color injections, bending it into unconventional shapes, or combining woven rattan panels with luxe materials like leather and marble. alvin-t.com
A lacquered vase, tea box, and rectangular tray form Hanoia’s Red River collection. (Photo: Hanoia)
R for Repair exhibition features toothy seashell and storytelling clock radio
Ten designers have created new pieces from broken objects, including a clock radio that tells stories and a seashell that has been given an eerily realistic tongue and teeth, for the R for Repair exhibition in Singapore.
Curator Hans Tan chose a selection of designers for the project, which was commissioned by the DesignSingapore Council and aims to show how repairing discarded items can help us change how we think about waste. Being a designer-maker in Singapore where natural resources are scarce and craft fabrication practices hard to come by, the use of waste and found objects has been a common thread in my own works, said Tan, who teaches sustainability and design at the National University of Singapore.