( earthy vases / accessories )

Andrea Trimarchi (1983) and Simone Farresin (1980) are Studio Formafantasma – two Italian designers based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The collaboration between the two started during their BA in communication design, illustrating books and magazines. Their interest in product design developed on the IM masters course at Design Academy Eindhoven, where they graduated in July 2009 with a thesis based on traditional Sicilian folk craft.

The work of Studio Formafantasma touch relevant design issues such as the role of design in folk craft, the relationship between tradition and local culture, a critical approach to sustainability, and the significance of objects as a cultural vector.

Andrea and Simone believe in the role of the designer as a bridge between craftwork, industry, user and objects. From this in-between position the studio is interested in creating a design practice that merges craft and industry, local necessity within the global context and on a conceptual level, to stimulate a more critical and conscious relationship of the user with objects.

“Autarky” is an installation that proposes an autonomous way of producing goods.

Autarchy outlines a hypothetical scenario where a community is embracing a serene and self inflicted embargo where nature is personally cultivated, harvested and processed, to feed and make tools to serve human necessities.

“Autarky” pays homage to the uncomplicated, the simple and the everyday. 

Below are a few images form an installation called 'Autarchy'.

The Process:

The vessels and lamps are produced with a bio-material composed of 70% flour, 20% agricultural waste, and 10% natural limestone.

 The differences in the colour palette are obtained by the selection of distinct vegetables, spices and roots that are dried, boiled or filtered for their natural dyes.

Egg is used as a paint to add a bright detail on the dry surface of the bowls.

In cooperation with a chemist studio formafantasma rediscover old natural techniques used in the renaissance to lacquer and make the surfaces of the objects water-proof.