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Rasmus Fenhann — Ebano
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Appearing closer to a monolithic stone monument than a timber cabinet, the unique texture of Ebano references a story of materiality, rather than that of a lost society. An exterior constructed from off-cut pieces of Ebony timber bears each stroke of the axe and mark of the chainsaw used to fell the prized timber decades ago. These marks create a textural centerpiece that attracts a tactile relationship – one is required to run their hands over the sharp exterior to discover seven refined Rosewood drawers hidden within.
Material and dimensions:
Ebony off-cuts, Rosewood.
30 x 30 x 111cm
Unique Piece.
Year:
2018
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Anders Sune Berg
VIDEOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
First presented as part of the Cabinetmakers Autumn Exhibition in 2018, Ebano by Danish designer and cabinetmaker Rasmus Fenhann is a furniture piece that celebrates raw materiality and expert craftsmanship. Gifted from a fellow cabinetmaker, the exterior of the cabinet is constructed from a stacked collection of Ebony off-cuts. Taken from the exterior of an Ebony tree once felled and hewn decades ago, these remaining pieces contained the textural residue of each swing of the axe and cut of the chainsaw used to process its timber. Fenhann has painstakingly brought all of these individual pieces together to form a monolithic tower. The rough exterior of Ebano defies the level of craftsmanship needed to complete the unique work; each piece positioned perfectly, with intersecting corners cut on a 45′ bevel. Whilst presenting a sharp exterior, seven beautifully crafted Rosewood drawers are positioned along one side of the cabinet – the rich red of the streamlined drawers offset against the textural black exterior.
DESIGNER BIO:
Rasmus Fenhann
Designer and cabinetmaker, born 1972.
Creating pieces with an equal focus on sculptural and functional qualities, Rasmus Fenhann’s work is created using carefully selected natural materials – predominantly timber. His process combines traditional and sometimes near-forgotten craft techniques with advanced technology and tooling – including CAD sketching, visualisation and processing. Fenhann’s main source of inspiration is traditional Japanese woodwork and Danish cabinetmaking, with his works often incorporating personal interpretations of select aspects of these craft traditions. His work is also informed by nature and the mathematical properties of natural forms – universal forms unaffected by human control. Today he is considered one of the most important Scandinavian designers within the field of hand-crafted collectible design.
EDUCATION:
2003: M.Ed Furniture Design, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art.
1996: Cabinetmaker, Silver Medal, Denmark.
GRANTS AND HONOURS:
2020: The H.J. Wegner Award, Denmark
2016: The Finn Juhl Award, Denmark.
2004: Arts and Crafts Silver Medal, Denmark.
2000: Gurli & Paul Madsen Scholarship, Denmark.
1999: Arts and Crafts Bronze Medal, Denmark.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
2020: Travel as a Tool, Designmuseo Helsinki, Finland.
2020: Design Without Borders, Kiscell Museum, Hungary.
2019: Crafted Matter, Cheoungju Craft Biennale, South Korea.
2018: Mindcraft 18, Milan, Italy.
2016: REFORM Design Biennale, Kinfolk Gallery, Denmark.
2015: Learning from Japan, Design Museum Denmark, Denmark.
2015: Japanometry, Solo Exhibition, Galerie Maria Wettergren, France.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS:
Designmuseum Danmark, Denmark.
WEBSITE:
INSTAGRAM: