Glarner Vase

We are very proud to present Glarner Vase, a project developed for the architect Hansjörg Staub from Basel, Switzerland.

The porcellain vase was created for a edition of 50 pieces. It is produced by hand in fine white porcellain and decorated with drops of gold.
Due to the objects value, the package is also handbuilt from plywood, completed with a banderole with Grzegorzs calligraphy and sealed with the Drache&Bär seal.

Sentimentale Phänomene

Lenas traditional november show took place at our studio, were she installed her recent works under the title 'Sentimentale Phänomene halb vergessener Räume' (sentimental phenomenons of half forgotten spaces).
The exhibition was devided in the upper floor of our studio and the working space downstairs in our 'half-forgotten' basement space. In the basement were shown sketches, text fragments and broken ceramics - the process that lead to the pieces shown above.
The title of this atelier show connects to material and spacial phenomenons described by the polish writer Bruno Schulz.
Our gratitude goes to Gosia Quinkenstein, who wrote an accompanying text that was printed in the small leaflet of 'Sentimentale Phänomene halb vergessener Räume'.

Drache&Bär visual ID

Soft cotton paper and letterpress for our new visitcards - and flyers with hand-applied gold and silver lettering, of course produced in the printing shop that we trust: Kolory in Cracow.

The story of Zalipie

In the late summer of 2013 we went on a trip from Cracow to the tiny village of Zalipie. The folklore paintings, traditionally made by the women of the village, had been inspiring Lena for some private pieces and we finally wanted to see the originals. The trip became not only visually inspiring but developed to a little allegory about creation, that we never forgot.

Zalipie is placed alongside one quiet landroad. In one of the first houses, we were invited to see the inside out painted house of the inhabitant and creator who excitedly showed us her medals of won contests, signatures in the guest book from people all over the world - it was an overload of replicants, repeating flowering motives from the past and cheaply produced pieces made for selling to visitors - like Disneyland - and we were wondering if we would find what we were looking for.

After this visit, we drove deaper into Zalipie and discovered  more and more beautiful and original paintings everywhere on the surfaces on almost every object.
In the very end of the road, just before turning around, we came to witness a situation we didnt expect. A family, together with the neighbours, was just tearing down a painted house. All that was left standing to that moment was the chimney (as you can see above).
We found out that it was the home of Maria Wscisło. We were told that the next generation of the family needed  more space, so the old house had to give way for the new one.
Her paintings were the sweetest and most charming ones we have seen during our visit to Zalipie and imagine: they vanished in one day.
Maria took it with a smile. Her paintings were created for living and now they disappear for the living.
This gave us a lot to think about ambitions, creativity and its purpose.

P.S.: Józef, the neighbour of Maria, found in the dust of the building site a dirty old plywood desk with Marias flowers on it and they gave it to us as a present after we spoke a little bit. At home, we cleaned our unexpected treasure and framed it.

Must Have & Uncut

In October 2013 Grzegorz was handed over the Must Have honoration by the Łódż Designfestival Jury for the design of our Toll'sToy series.
In the same time at Łódż Designfestival, the new published album Uncut about polish Design was presented. As Grzegorz's furniture Alize is documented as part of the chapter 'Experiments', he was invited for this first presentation and to speak about the work of our studio.

Amfiteatr

The Ampfiteatr, a concrete concert shell in Tarnów, a town 80 km from Cracow, was built in 1967. It was then and still is a brilliant example of modernistic cultural architecture. Until 2006, the place was busy showing cabaret, festivals and concerts for citizens and visitors of the beautiful Oldtown of Tarnow.

Since 2006, this place is closed, empty and slowly decays. The town lost its pulsating heart of social life.

We were asked to develop a vision and visualisation for the Amfiteatr.
Instead of developing a new project and tearing down the old substance, the idea was to keep this architectural pearl in the hands of the citizens. Examples of other, bigger cities show the acceptance of the inhabitants when it comes to reactivation of iconic city places, as the Hotel Forum in Cracow, the Warszawa Powiśle in Warsaw or the old airport Tempelhof in Berlin.
The place being the visitcard of this historical town, shall combine cultural life and life-quality of families. A day playground as well as an evening bar, the meeting point for people visiting concerts  and the center for cultural activities like workshops - all that in the heart of the city.

In the end of last week, this project was accepted by citizens and the town council and granted with 300.000 zl for realization. So great!

Autumn Interior with Alex&Axel

Alex&Axel cherry are exploring new interiors. Mexican Designer Ana sent us beautiful photos ofthe Drache&Bär candleholders in their new home surrounding in Berlin Charlottenburg.
Very inspiring - thank you!