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Lithuanian interior designer Donatas Žukauskas uses cracks, splits, stippling and unpredictable materials in his upcycled designs, celebrating imperfections by employing it as a means to craft beauty. From side tables to coffee tables, and lamp designs, vases, sculptures, and candle lanterns, Žukauskas brings to life, a fine blend of abstract, sculptural, and artistic forms. The designer experiments with concrete-like materials and a mixture of several components, especially paper pulp, leading Žukauskas to achieve the right ratio to create a material that is easy to craft into smooth or rough surfaces, and is also water-resistant, durable, and rigid. The recycled products are manifested in paper that is transformed by bestowing it properties of wood—Žukauskas finds this method synonymous with giving trees a third life, furthering a facet of sustainable design in them. In his collection, Žukauskas establishes a synthesis of sculptural art, design, and artistic expression, which he believes, is sometimes rough but always elegant.
Sculptural vases and candle lanterns
The home decor collection's primary characteristic bases itself on a 'contemporary twist on nature,' resulting in abstract yet functional vases that can be used both during the day and night time, as lanterns, to produce radiant patterns of light and shadow. Besides their idiosyncratic, sculptural facets, these vases gain distinction in their simplicity, enabling them to fit within any interior decor. The material has been processed in a manner to make it more durable, and making it safe for use as candle lanterns, despite appearing brittle initially. The product designs can be cleaned easily with a damp washcloth, as it is moisture-resistant and maintains its colour over time.
'Balance' pendant light
Blending the lightness of a feather and the rigidity of natural stone, these handcrafted ceiling lights exude simplicity and tranquillity, in their sleek, modern, and minimalist appearance.
Side tables
The side tables from the collection dubbed 'Wave,' 'Bent,' 'Tripod,' 'Mottled,' 'Minimalist,' and 'Sculptural,' are crafted using natural wood and concrete. Despite being diverse materials, their combination brought to fruition a furniture design that blends the warmth of wood with the boldness of concrete, complementing each other in form and hues.
Natural oak adorns the tabletop, while the concrete-like base is created by pouring solid paper mass, made to look similar to wood in terms of qualities. The table's whole structure is created concurrently, ensuring that the two materials fit together precisely and without any gaps. After the product has dried, the surface is scrubbed and oiled for the final look.
A fusion of sturdiness, elegance, old glamour, and modernity makes these side tables unique. The side table design transcends beyond being a functional object, to embrace the world of art and sustainability. The product designer has crafted objects that provide more than simply a place to set things down, to become the centre of attention in a space, drawing interest and igniting dialogue. The textural material employed adds a tactile dimension to the side tables, rekindling sensory experiences and enhancing visual appeal.
Text by Ria Jha
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