Ga-Ram Han // Design for a Living World

Two Designers: Ezri Tarazi & Ted Muehling.



Ezri focuses on the cultivation of bamboo, and embraces the idea of conservation and reuse of materials. He sees the use of material, in this case bamboo, for what it is. Instead of the typical use of bamboo in common applications such as veneer or chopsticks, he takes its physical form, and plays around with function. He represents his pieces in a more natural state, as if the form defined itself to be apart of the surrounding, rather than representing itself, by itself. Therefore he created a collection of pieces that each "fit" in to a theme, each having it's own personality. He created bookshelves, lighting, and even wine holders with just the subtraction or addition of simple materials. Since bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants, it only makes sense to utilize it's great properties in a number of applications. More attention should be paid to bamboo for its sustainable qualities, since it is a fast growing, regenerating, anti rotting woody plant. Perhaps this is a better alternative than wood?


Ted Muehling is an industrial designer known for his interest in jewelry. In this project, Ted traveled to the Micronesian Islands of Pompei, and harvested local ivory-nut palm tree seeds, also known as vegetable ivory. He uses the material for it's unique characteristic, and sustainable qualities. Its hard body makes a great medium to carve into, being shaped to form truly amazing jewelry pieces. It is also humbling to know that vegetable ivory is a now becoming a popular substitution for elephant ivory; a major concern for animal welfare. Ted also recognized that handcraft is a major tradition from where vegetable ivory is harversted from. Keeping harvesting alive will not only enrich the livelyhood of local communities, but also create awareness of such traditions.

When creating products, both designer focused heavily on communities. Popularizing the harvesting of such materials would create more jobs, and enrich the lives of the local people. When comparing both processes, I noticed that both required little energy, therefore adding points to being a sustainable material.

To take each of the projects a little further, I propose the use of the materials in different mediums. Quickly sketched are products that can be branched out into other categories, creating a more diverse line of product that would add value to each of the companies, and create a demand for using more sustainable alternatives.