Do you buy your furniture at IKEA and your clothes at the nearest fast fashion store? If you’re looking for a rarity to help you rediscover your cultural heritage, or if you’re open to discovering the heritage of others, you’ve come to the right place! Let us show you how, contrary to what many believe, we can still preserve and even bring the artisan traditions of Eastern Europe to life.
Krásná práce is a project presenting Czech, Moravian, and Silesian folk crafts to promote and support the culture of craftsmanship. Their mission is to integrate craft into the 21st century and to position craft production economically and artistically in the context of contemporary needs. The project is carried out under the auspices of the Družstevní práce foundation (fondu Družstevní práce), headed by Klára Hegerová, where art historians, ethnographers, and designers work on ways to preserve and revive traditional craft culture. For traditions must not only be cherished but also reimagined and embraced. The project began as an exploration of fading traditional techniques and now serves as a bridge between artisans and contemporary designers. The Krásná práce project fulfills the role of institutions that historically represented the craft industry, and carries out this mission through the facilitation of exhibitions, accompanying programs, and collaborations. The exhibitions’ content is usually conceptualized as a joint effort between renowned or emerging designers, with the aim of raising awareness of the rich and flourishing cultural values.
In an exhibition at the end of last year, Krásná práce and eight young designers explored the role of traditional techniques in contemporary art. Local craftsmanship provides a space for local perspectives, for slowing down in every possible way, and also for bringing our way of life closer to nature. But how does this translate into the work of a young designer? Although Czech Design has already covered the exhibition in detail, it is important to highlight some of the works: Anastasia Mazur’s NAMI mirror collection, made using the wicker technique, was nominated for the Newcomer of the Year Award, while Natálie Costantinová has combined her basket-making expertise with environmentalism. For her diploma project, Costantinová created an insect shelter by merging basket weaving, corn husk processing, and turning. Although the harsh winters are no longer accompanied by food shortages, there is a growing renaissance in authentic food processing methods, like techniques of food preservation. Karolína Vintrová has built on this trend and incorporated the tradition of pottery into her work. She has also returned to the tradition of preservation in her collection, using recipes gathered from her family members in her native Moravia.
But it is not only in Czechia, this stronghold of design, where the rediscovery of craftsmanship is taking place but also in Hungary. Ethical, thoughtful, and extraordinary, VUUV Works perfectly represents the redefinition of craftsmanship within the Hungarian design sphere. The brand gives space for artist-artisan collabs, bringing limited-edition creations to life. While focusing on a clean aesthetic, ethical working practices, sustainable materials, production, and delivery, they also aim to show the diversity and value of contemporary Central European craftsmanship. Anna Lébényi, a founder of VUUV Works, retells stories such as the harvesting of materials used by master basket maker Tibor Kovács, a process now unique in almost the entire region. Anna has also covered the processing of wool from Hungarian alpaca and merino sheep and has designed a sustainable collection inspired by one of Hungary’s most beautiful courtship traditions, the maypole. A limited number of VUUV Works products are available in the Valami Hazai shop in Budapest.
The Ukrainian brand Nadiia instinctively embraces exclusivity and the elemental power inherent in Ukrainian folklore. The brand was founded in 2018 by Nadiia Shapoval, whose world is imbued with a truly unique play of folk art and design. The essence of Nadiia is a collaboration between traditional artisan techniques and beloved contemporary designers, drawing on the heritage of long-forgotten landscapes and objects. Among the brand’s iconic pieces are ancient-looking necklaces inspired by the Cucuteni–Trypillia civilization, a lesser-known page of Ukrainian cultural traditions. Nadiia Shapoval collaborates with famous creatives such as the brand BEVZA and the creator Masha Reva, among others. Together with Masha, they launched Nadiia’s first signature ceramic collection, which carries traces of the ancient Ukrainian design heritage.
Cover Photo: Stepan Lisowski
Krásná práce | Web | Instagram
VUUV Works | Web | Facebook | Instagram
Nadiia | Web | Instagram
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