Berlin-based designer\u00a0Anastasiya Koshcheeva <\/strong>has designed the Sibirjak<\/strong> lounge chair crafted using\u00a0birchbark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This natural material is not only\u00a0flexible, soft, water-repellent and antibacterial, but also breathable, durable, and strong. Due to its numerous advantages, birchbark was traditionally used in many cultures to\u00a0create everyday objects such as\u00a0 baskets, boxes, or quivers, musical instruments, canoes etc.<\/p>\n

Despite these unique characteristics, Koshcheeva\u00a0<\/strong>believes that the material\u00a0has\u00a0gradually been forgotten over the years. In response, the designer created this project that directly deals with the question of how to reinterpret an age-old custom and also how to make the conventional handcraft up-to-date.<\/p>\n

The chair and the ottoman combination emphasizes the material aesthetics, combining traditional skills with present-day processing.<\/strong>\u00a0The horizontal alignment of the bark underlines the leather-like properties of the construct, which offers a wide and welcoming, comfortable seat. The textile details and the reduced geometric frame forms a strong contrast to the natural birchbark.<\/p>\n

Sibirjak<\/strong> differs strongly from the conventional folkloric context and at the same time\u00a0invigorates\u00a0the traditional handcraft by showing new possibilities in a contemporary context.<\/p>\n