Simple objects are often so highly engineered that you might struggle to recognize their constituent parts. In 2014, London’s Design Museum dedicated a thought-provoking exhibition to these processes called In the Making. The exhibits showed retail objects in the “before” stage of life: the flat aluminum disk that would soon be pummelled into a soda can; the curvilinear slither of plastic that would go on to shape a soccer boot. The exhibition was a celebration of the abstract beauty of these in-process objects, but also a reminder of how disconnected the majority of manufacturing is from hands-on making.

There is something satisfying about looking closely at a design that finds elegance in simplicity, such as the Cask Armchair, made by Spanish design stalwarts Expormim and designed by Copenhagen’s own Norm Architects. Its striking frame is made of rattan poles cut and bent straight from the vine.

In partnership with Expormim, and with all these things in mind, we’re celebrating the revival of honest craftsmanship in a photo series focussing on the construction of one chair.

This post was produced in partnership with Expormim.

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