talia mukmel mixes sand and flour in ancient-looking bowl series

talia mukmel mixes sand and flour in ancient-looking bowl series
(above) the sand and flour mixture is baked in a home oven, giving each bowl its unique and special texture
all images courtesy of talia mukmel

israel-based designer talia mukmel works by discovering and developing new methods using traditional techniques and primary materials. ‘terra cotta 2’ is part of an ongoing philosophical research that strives to combine different mediums and cultural motives coming from primitive eras, together with modern industrial processing methods. for this series developed in 2016, talia explores the mixture of sand and flour. in order to give this blend some support and shape, the designer has created a metal grid using photo etching technology.

material research and 3D shapes and patterns

sand and flour are common materials used by the majority of the population around the world and have been used throughout history. in most ancient cultures, people have learned their physical and geographic surroundings to find essential solutions to their needs through the most natural and basic elements they could obtain around them. the use of sand and flour is crucial for this research, as flour is mostly made up of starch which is the main element that allows the grains of sand to stick together. the flour also swells up to a unique pattern. this project creates a cultural mix by combining traditional materials with modern technologies in search of a new identity.

the grid design references primitive motifs and geometric shapes

thanks to the starch found in flour, the grains of sand stick together

even by using the same grid, each bowl has its own unique characteristics

the metal grid is made with photo etching technique

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom