Bend your imagination

Wood bending techniques have existed since the times of the Ancient Egyptians. Young German designer Johannes Hemann re-interprets this art with furniture series "Pressed Wood".

The first step is applying a bit of pressure on the freshly cut wood. This allows Hemann to divide its fibers and remove part of the bark, so that most of the branch is completely naked and somewhat less thick. 

The designer can then modify the round base of the piece of wood into a more rectangular section. And at this point it is steamed and bent in combination with glue, until obtaining the structural framework for his furniture objects.

On a visual level he obtains a strong contrast effect due the components themselves: on one side the non-treated segment, that maintains its natural state, on the other the manipulated part.

Hemann’s furniture series "Pressed Wood", presented for the first time by Victor Hunt, was created by joining two branches curved like a U and combining them with other materials like glass, leather and other types of wood. Resulting in a table, a coffee table, a stool, a chair and a lamp.

This year, Johannes was nominated in the "Young Designer" category of the German Design Awards 2012, after having received two nominations for the "Design Newcomer Award of the Federal Republic of Germany" in 2011 and 2010.

Photos via johanneshemann.com