Rustic But Refined – Taso Bowl and Vase Series by Mathieu Delacroix

One of the lesser talked about design considerations is how we can contrast refined and rough elements in a form. Obviously handicrafts tend to sit more on the rustic side of the spectrum, considering you are using your hands and have to harness the slight inaccuracy in your work and make this a feature of the piece. Mixing these principles with modernity in function and form you really see the best of these two worlds collide.

French designer Mathieu Delacroix has been able to capture both of these worlds in his series titled Taso that consists of wooden vases and bowls made on the lathe. Living and working in Paris, it comes as no surprise to me that his passion is in bringing meaning to older designs from the past. He figures that these objects most probably are already linked to us in some way and he himself may be able to bring these forward in to new forms and ideas. A great concept and one I’ve not really thought about myself.

Taso is one of these so called ‘archaic’ objects that explores woodworking as a craft in more detail. The bottom portion of the object is left fairly structured and rigid, rough in nature with sharp edges. This contrasts the top that’s much more detailed and refined. This battle between form and style was exactly what Mathieu was looking for and I think he did a fantastic job in this series. Here are a few photos but more can be found on his portfolio linked below. A very talented designer indeed and one to look out for in the future.

mathieudelacroix.com

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