Woven jute and papercord seat.
Furniture
Fall 2023, Parsons School of Design
Advisor:
Andrew Seskunas
Fabrication and Process
Variations on 16” x 16” cubic furniture with woven seat.
Weaving is an age-old practice in Bangladesh that embodies communal aspects of women-led cooperatives and celebrates labor, circularity, kinship and embodied knowledge. Weaving with jute in particular is a strong tradition and a significant source of income for impoverished communities.
For me, the texture and colors of jute bring up memories of childhood because it is as ubiquitous as plastic. I remember jute rugs, wall hangings, rice bags, mosquito squatters and furniture. When I started making this stool and this chair, I started simple but I didn’t need any directions on understanding how the material would behave or what kind of a pattern I would make. I just did it, repetition and rhythm blurred passing time.