Wonderwood: a fusion of handicrafts and design

Tradition-based design makes the most of antique know-how and tradecrafts for the objects of tomorrow. An increasingly topical trend that is now also behind the Wonderwood project by Lebanese designer Richard Yasmine.



Innovation and tradition, design and handicrafts are paired together and form the basis for the latest project by designer Richard Yasmine, who with Wonderwood combines materials and Lebanese traditional artisanship techniques in a contemporary product.





In our frenetic world, dominated by standardised products, by levelling and by globalised taste, words like vernacular, traditional and handcraftsmanship are experiencing a true renaissance. A trend that can also be seen in the area of design, where we are seeing a comeback of antique artisan techniques that risk extinction but are filled with a poetry that becomes a real added value for objects, since they tell a real story, crafted by hand. 





Which is also what happens with WONDERWOOD, a multipurpose product and the brainchild of Richard Yasmine. An object whose end use ranges from bowl to home decor and the result of a collective work of the designer with Lebanese master marquetry craftsmen. 



A solid body was created from pieces of different woods using the inlay technique of cutting pieces out and fitting them together; they are then turned to produce a real sculpture on a base of brass and concrete with double the artistic worth. On the one hand, Wonderwood incorporates the manual work and creativity of master marquetry craftsmen, where every item is a unique piece, and on the other contemporary creative mindset where “networking” and the fusion of old and new form the foundations for an intrinsically sustainable design development, one that protects the cultural resources of society.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Richard Yasmine 
Year: 2015
Location: Lebanon 
Photography: © BizzareBeirut