ABOUT

GIRIA in Lithuanian means an old-growth forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance. The project is aimed to pass the sensation of the forest through material, to bring the nature to one’s home. Tree bark and leaves - a by-product of the tree cutting industry- are transformed into sustainable design objects with a unique appearance and a scent of a tree. In that way, paying tribute to the properties and beauty of alternative resources from the local forests. No two items in GIRIA are the same: each is made by hand from the bark dust of different kinds of trees (Oak, Pine, Ash and tree leaves) that gives a unique texture, varying in colour and roughness of a surface. .

PROCESS

This collection is a result of an experimental material research process. I experimented with various techniques to use the byproduct - bark- in a transformative manner. I visit saw mill companies to collect different types of bark waste that is afterwards dried and grind to powder. The process of making these objects consists of quite a few stages. The first one is collecting bark, drying and grinding it. Later follows boiling a natural binding substance and mixing it with the bark powders. Finally, forming objects in the molds and letting them dry for a couple of weeks. Objects change and nicely deform themselves while drying. Changes mostly depend on the thickness of the piece. Therefore there are no same items in GIRIA collection.

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GIRIA Tree bark objects

2015 - ongoing

Tree bark powder, organic binding substance

Self-production

Matas Astrauskas