During her childhood and youth in Siberia, Koshcheeva came into contact with centuries-old Siberian craft methods that now strongly influence her contemporary works. The combination of contrasting textures, colours and techniques help her to transform the raw materials into objects with a history.

Birchbark | Saving an age-old craft

Birchbark is a natural material with amazing properties. Combining the qualities of leather, wood and paper, it is flexible, soft, water-repellent, breathable, antibacterial, strong and durable.

Koshcheeva’s intention is to show the different possibilities of birchbark applications. The deep material research has allowed the combination of traditional skill with modern technologies, bringing the handcraft up-to-date. Starting the creative process with the material, its unique potential, aesthetic features, and haptic qualities are explored in an experimental way, turning insights in to design concepts.

Used not only in every household and handcraft in Russia, but also in construction and even medicine, Koshcheeva has captured its finest qualities in Sibirjak.

Sibirjak chair and ottoman

The chair and ottoman combination emphasises the material aesthetics, combining traditional skills with modern processing. The horizontal alignment of the bark underlines the leather-like properties of the material, is welcoming and offers a wide comfortable seat. The textile details and the reduced geometric frame form a strong contrast to the natural birchbark. Mint were proud to feature Sibirjak and the Tuesa containers as part of Twisting Traditions, for their unique and innovative material qualities.

Tuesa and Sibirjak at Mint

Made in collaboration with Siberian craftsmen, using traditional knowledge and only the best natural bark, the series of Tuesa containers combine traditional skills with a present-day look, supporting an age-old craft from Siberia and recovering the tradition of manufacturing. Thanks to the antibacterial and isolating qualities of birchbark, Tuesa containers are perfect for storage of food, spices and tea, as the essential oil inside the bark can keep contents fresh, cold or warm for a longer time.

“Design for me is a continual process of observation and reflection.

I am constantly drawing inspiration from the societies I live in, the surroundings I experience, the people I meet, and the things I do in my everyday life.”

Koshcheeva’s work should be celebrated for its position as striking product design, standing between handcraft and industry. See below for more projects.

Svetoch – Birchbark Lamp 2015

Taburet stool

Taburet‘ is a stool with a three-dimensional seat made of birchbark stripes, sewed and fixed together on a steel frame. The stable, light and elastic meshwork looks different from the every angle and builds an optical illusion, cushioning the stool in a decorative and comfortable way.

Stitched Wood, in collaboration with Oya-Meryem Yanik, is a material innovation that deals with veneer, its characteristics, processing, and unique potential. As a result of a wide research a surface material has been developed, that is held together with seams in an ecological way without using glue and can be used either independently or in conjunction with plywood.

Chester stool