Ripped: DAM at Design Week
By Angelina Puschkarski
New launch: DAM
About DAM: “Our inspiration comes from the desire to tell a story, to provoke something or someone. Then the inspiration for the pieces comes from our concerned look on everyday things and simultaneously research – products, materials and new/traditional techniques. What moves us is the passion that we put into what we do. We do what we like! ‘Till now, none of the developed pieces was born from the briefing of a client. The pieces are presented as final products but after, all of them can be adapted to the needs and desires of each client.
Each piece is a narrative about the portuguese collective heritage, telling stories that are connected to the simple and emotional draw. Thus, we want that people have fun and identify themselves with the objects by their stories and not by their price or decorative character. Furthermore, they are presented as final products, but they can be adapted to the needs or desires of each person. We can adapt the color, the dimensions and the materials.
We like to use materials that reflect our culture. In these pieces we use materials like cloth rags used in the traditional tapestry, wool, leather and wood. The exploration of these materials is only possible through a coordinated effort between artisans and local industries, thus creating additional value in the products. So, our challenge is valorizing the regional and national production for export through the promotion of portuguese identity.”
“DAM is about Design, Craft and Furniture. Therefore, we attenuate the boundaries between Design, Craft and Industry in a perspective of cultural and human enhancement. We develop pieces that support themselves in a strategy of local identity, we create synergies between artisans and industries and we combine different materials and techniques. The challenge is to revisit a colective heritage that is still genuine, therefore different. The goal is to promote the portuguese culture in the international market, building a bridge between Economy and Culture.”
Designers: Joana Santos and HugoSilva
Please check out DAM’s Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest page for more designs.