All in the Family at Jasser Studio

Jasser Van Oort is something of a wunderkin, having graduated from the the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven, and launched his eponymous design studio at just twenty-four years old. Now, two years later, he has taken the two award winning chairs he created for his thesis show, and turned them into the an entire home collection, with the help and wisdom of his father, master carpenter Fred Mensink. It resulted in some incredibly striking pieces that are totally unique.

The Skin Collection is a perfect synthesis of this old and new style of making coming together. This is achieved by using technology like laser and jet cutters along with older forms of carpentry learned from his father to create the beautiful faceted designs. The first chairs in the skin collection were made from hand glued geometric shapes. Since launching the studio, Jasser has been experimenting with different types of production, exploring the possibilities in both the classic techniques and know-how from his father, along with new types of technology to aide the over all design, stating that in this day in age, designers should use “technology as a way to enhance…craft, not replace it.”

This ethos can be seen throughout Jasser Studio’s work, which includes desks, tables, cabinets and chairs that all vary in materials, incorporating leather, metals and of course, wood. But all of the pieces are tied together by the beautiful hand-made geometry, a style that is made up of rigorous research into new modes of digital design and production, along with the age-old carpentry techniques that make up the knowledge base in the studio.

This digital thread in handmade craft definitely is the new big thing. I think you know that I just love seeing these two go so seamlessly together! What’s important is not only that young designers like Jasser Studio, and Alice Archer (about whom you can read here) are attempting to incorporate new technologies available to them in their designs, but that they are doing so in a way that also keeps in mind the preservation of crafts and techniques that came before. I love that so much! And, when it all comes together in such interesting forms, even better! Bravo.