Burnt Cork, By Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance

An industrial waste product – the discarded burnt cork is seamlessly transformed into custom gradient blocks, then skillfully carved to reveal a tactile sculptural creation featuring minimalistic one-of-a-kind chairs and tables. “While moving to Portugal, I drove through the dramatic forest fires of summer 2017 and this visceral experience resonated with me deeply.” Innovatively fabricated through his Portugal-based studio, Made in Situ from calcined bark to fine grain, from rawness to fluid curves – it brilliantly plays with dichotomies. The stool, the smallest piece of the collection best crystallizes the essence of the collection. Perched on three legs, it gradually morphs from visibly burnt cork into an organic top. Each piece playfully balances the structural rough blocks of the base with the soft fluidity of the uppermost surface, architecturally juxtaposing the vertical and horizontal planes. The tension in perpendicularity is the expression of the collection.