In discussion with
Hand Made
In discussion with
How does your work relate to An interview by Fracas
“First of all, it depends on ones’ definition on what craft is. Nevertheless, we guess that the general point of view on craft is that it is something unique and handmade. Something that is not easily reproduced, and has the imperfection that comes along with when something is human made.” Hand Made
HaHa Sthlm HaHaSthlm_ When HAHA first started in the summer 2015, the aim was to create
a company that is free from the shackles of the design industry’s norms and rules. Arash and Yu-Ching met while studying the Master’s programme in industrial design at Konstfack in Stockholm. HAHA’s first project lead them to the Vima Collection and a trip to Taiwan. The goal then was to source, produce, and learn from the master craftsmen and women in Taiwan. The journey gave them thorough insights regarding production techniques as well as a deeper appreciation for the spirit of handcrafted objects. Today HAHA’s focus lies on designing and producing well crafted design objects with great emphasis on the tangible experience. The name HAHA is itself a mindset of what the company always strives towards.
How did you come across design ?
To go way back, both of us have always been very curious and creative since we were kids. Take Arash for example, he loves to draw and scrabble on any blank part on the paper and collect small stuff. The beauty of nature and the different shapes and forms are something that he’s always been drawn to. Later on, he studied science, but quickly realised that it wasn’t for him. After that he realised that he could be a designer. Like an industrial designer. And that’s how he came across design.
How does your work relate to crafts ?
First of all, it depends on ones’ definition on what craft is. Nevertheless, we guess that the general point of view on craft is that it is something unique and handmade. Something that is not easily reproduced, and has the imperfection that comes along with when something is human made. HAHA’s work is a mix of both craft and non craft. We are strong believers of unique products which possess individual strength. That is why we only produce limited numbers of each piece and collection, as well as focusing on our collaborations with experienced craftsmen and women that wield the right knowledge to preform the certain skills. We understand the importance
of the stories and the poetic essence behind each product, and that’s something we’d like to pass on. We think that’s how our work relates to crafts.
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_Full interview on the next page
In discussion with What would you describe as your main focus in your practice ?
playfulness has always been an important element in our work, we’ll keep this series of object being fun to engage with.
Magic. HAHA’s greatest wish is to make people smile and laugh. When we developing products, we try to experiment and co-create together with both craftsmen and other artist to make sure that the products are both beautiful and well constructed. No matter what the purpose of the product is, we believe that it should always start with a smile. That smile itself is the magic that HAHA brings to the table. It’s something you can feel but intangible. It’s magic.
Why did you choose to show Vima at Fracas ?
One of the initiatives to start HAHA was to create a company that is free from the shackles of the design industry’s norms and rules. Vima collection is our first furniture collection to represent this statement, hence we believe that it is important to showcase the collection.
What would be your main fascination, inspiration ?
That’s a hard question. In general, we’d say everything! From our surroundings, food, architecture, and art. Basically anything that is interesting. We have a tendency to focus on form a lot, like unexpected shapes and structures. Different meetings and materials are also a big winner in our quest for design. Just as anything else, we think we have different periods of what ”we are into” at the moment. For example, we are really into space and celestial knowledge right now. It’s very fascinating to try to translate space into something tangible. Planets, stars, space travel, the cosmos. We would say space is our main fascination / inspiration now. And we really like chrome at the moment too.
What’s your most recent work like ?
Our latest work focusing on objects connected to reflection and illumination, and we’d like to reshape the nature and function of these objects with the hope of creating an intriguing experience for those who interact with it. There’s not much detail to reveal regarding our new work so far, however, we’d picture it to be a series of mirror and lighting equipment. And since
And when Fracas approached us to showcase our designs, the Vima collection was our no°1 choice to exhibit.
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HaHa Sthlm
Can you tell us more about the Vima Floor Lamp?
We’d like to highlight the Vima floor lamp from the exhibited pieces. Not only because it has been with us from day one, but also because of the great amount of craftsmanship that has been put into it. Almost all components of the lamp are custom made. From the welding work of the tube and the dimmer compartments that adjusts the light, to the hand blown white glass globe. With the Vima floor lamp, we wanted to create a timeless piece that can pass on through generations. With the design and physical form of the floor lamp, we also want to blur the boundaries between outdoor and indoor furniture in favour of creating a strange yet familiar aesthetic.
reality machines olafur eliasson, 2015-16
Can you share with us something currently stimulating you ?
Not long ago, we’ve been to an exhibition called “Reality Machines” by Olafur Eliasson. That was amazing! We were really amazed by the way he managed to combine the spiritual experience with the physical matter. We learned a lot from his work. Also a book named “The system of objects ” by Jean Baudrillard. It discusses deep design theories. Sometimes it’s nice to get involved with deeper theoretical texts, even you don’t totally agree with it. Oh, and we’d also like to recommend a Sci-Fi TV series, Stranger Things. It has all the cool 80’s vibe and nostalgia elements in it. It’s quite mysterious and dark and makes you wonder and imagine a lot. Like we mentioned earlier - Space is something we are drawn to at the moment. And this is the perfect pass time series to keep the “space fascination” stimulated.
the system of objects jean baudrillard, 1996
stranger things shawn levy, 2016
Contact
www.hahasthlm.com Arash Eskafi +46(0) 769 41 80 80 info@hahasthlm.com Yu-Ching Chiang +46(0) 707 68 66 02 info@hahasthlm.com
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In discussion with
Hand Made