Studio Jens Praet

Can shredded paper be seen as an ecological inspiration source? More importantly, could it be aesthetically valuable? Simply put, Yes! Just ask Belgian designer Jens Praet, founder of the Italian based Studio Jens Praet. His style combines traditional handcrafting with avant-garde techniques.His first collection was based on shredded documents. After realizing how much wasted paper was accumulating in offices, Praet thought to utilize the shredded documents in an attempt to transform them into useful objects. The first object, used from one single day of shredded paper waste was a small cabinet. The main ingredients consisted of shredded paper with resin.
The result of this work was a beautiful piece of furniture comprised of a paper-resin composite whose strength-properties were comparable to wood and looks resembling marble. This unique combination gave rise to a collection of objects whose core was based on shredded paper, reminding his public that ‘waste’ is relative. All sorts of different objects have since been created.Another fine example of Jens Praet’s ecological awareness is the Arctic collection. Together with studio Vibeke Skar, a series of tables inspired by the arctic’s melting ice glaciers have been designed. They wanted to raise an awareness of both global industrialization and the beauty of the Arctic environment.