Studio Markunpoika (aka Tuomas Markun Poika) is introducing us to their new vases, made out of hundreds of pencils, a series called “Amalgamated”.
Pencils are utilized when giving form to our thoughts, illustrating our wishes and ideas. They are inseparably fused with craft and arts, representing diverse relationships between artist and their creations. Pencils are extensions of our minds which enable us to transmit information through different mediums and time, collecting knowledge and creating it.
“Amalgamated” is a collection which explores the relationship of a mass produced ‘tool’ and its individual purpose. The beauty of the pencil as an object seems to go unnoticed if utilised only for their primary purpose. It is a visual and tactile investigation by using pencils as a raw material. This holistic principle has been the fundament for creating this set of vases; let the pencils become a thing themselves.
The vases are created by individually gluing one facet of a pencil to another, taking benefit of their hexagonal shape forming a network of pencils. The block of pencils is machined with a lathe and turned into the final shape. The flow of each shape unveils a different pattern of the inner structure revealing the beauty of the pencil.
The vases are a limited edition and come in three different shapes, in 30 cm and 45 cm tall with different color options.
About Studio Markunpoika: Tuomas Markunpoika was born in Jyväskylä, Finland. He went to study furniture design in Lahti Institute of Design in 2006 where he graduated in 2010 and moved to Amsterdam for an internship at Marcel Wanders. He continued his studies at Design Academy Eindhoven, MA Contextual Design under the mentorship of Gijs Bakker and Louise Schouwenberg where he graduate with Cum Laude in 2012. His thesis ‘Engineering Temporality’ explored the metaphysics of design, oscillating between death, memory and material culture. Studio Markunpoika was establishes swiftly after his graduation. Since graduation, Tuomas’ work has gained immediate recognition. His ‘Engineering Temporality’ collection was nominated Furniture Design of the Year by London Design Museum in 2013 and exhibited in galleries, museums and art fairs internationally. Studio Markunpoika works on project ranging from industrial design to limited editions and one-off art pieces for companies, galleries and private clients.
