BITSAFE by Richard Yasmine x Jason Maynard

Our readers know Richard Yasmine, the Lebanese product designer, for his collections that skillfully blend traditional Lebanese craftsmanship and contemporary design. Among these, we presented Flowing Fragments and Size Matters at Milano Design City 2021, two collections that combine cultural research with a strong focus on environmental aspects.

Now Yasmine proposes a luxury bar furniture, BITSAFE, created in collaboration with the American artist Jason Maynard for Behspoke. This brand offers unique furniture made in collaboration between designers and contemporary artists. In Behspoke's products, the highest artisan quality is supported by the best materials and techniques, in line with Richard Yasmine's philosophy, always starting with the material, which he shapes according to his visions thanks to the expertise of the craftsmen.

Jason Maynard, the winner of the Gil Borgos Award For Originality 2020, defines himself as a Visual Storyteller and, in this case, fuses his art, which uses a complex digital process to freeze and explore specific moments in time and space, with Yasmine's refined design.

In detail, the limited edition creation BITSAFE consists of a sculptural structure in polished cast bronze. On closer inspection, the legs of the cabinet mimic the silhouette of the spoons used to stir cocktails as a symbol of greed. Together with the massive aesthetic bronze hinges, they support a crystalline tempered glass body in the shape of a house. The shelves inside are also made of glass and on the lowest one there is a floating cutlery drawer made of matt pink onyx. 

In the upper central part, however, is the sculpture "The bitcoin is here to stay" by Jason Maynard. In the artwork, the bitcoin symbolises the free flow of information exchange - immediate, unlimited and always active. In a world marked by increasing instability, one gets the impression that Bitcoin is here to stay. For BITSAFE, the small sculpture was transformed into a cylindrical piggy bank with a hidden slot on the back. The result is a sophisticated functional design object that is robust yet has a light and graceful allure. In the combination of sculpture and transparent container all the elements emphasise the whole metaphorical concept of a safe where the bitcoin bank mysteriously floats in the transparent void. Once assembled, all the elements emphasise the whole metaphorical concept of a treasure chest.

The result is a magical and exclusive object with an almost sacred aura, not least because of the reminiscence of the tabernacle. Richard Yasmine tells us: "BITSAFE ironically reflects the cult of materialism, where the power of money controls and manipulates our society. It highlights how nowadays money or cryptocurrencies are converted into the main object of devotion."

Richard Yasmine and Jason Maynard's piece of furniture for Behspoke is sure to become an object of devotion for those who love classy design that is still capable of making us think.