Kajsa Willner approaches the Craft Punk assemblages as a means of resistance

"Craft Punk is a kind of silent activism…an ongoing project that celebrates the potential of upcycling what's left behind," industrial designer Kajsa Willner tells STIR. Born in 1982, she runs an experimental, research-based practice in Malmö, Sweden, valuing interdisciplinary collaborations and crafting bespoke, tactile pieces. Founded in 2013, the Swedish design studio shapes sculptures, objects, installations and exhibitions that converge science, nature and craftsmanship. A pair of sculptural designs, the Craft Punk pieces are bold assemblages of discarded wood elements. The components are stacked, adjoined and suspended, resulting in a complex, layered system of evolving forms. Commissioned by The Office Group in London, these monumental pieces appear to be a static representation of continuously folding, expanding and contracting spaces that conceal within, portals to new possibilities.

"Craft Punk (2025) was born from the Crafted Potential (2023) project, where I mapped a furniture company's material flows and explored how their leftover materials could be reintroduced into production. One outcome was a series of reclaimed wooden furniture and vases—this became the starting point for Craft Punk," the Swedish designer shares with STIR. Therefore, one must delve into the dialogue between the two, exploring the evolution of Willner's creative philosophy. While the project transforms from a case study to a broader investigation, "using waste as a resource and craft as a means of resistance," as Willner explains, it continues to prioritise craftsmanship and material responsibility and narrative.

The name, Craft Punk, embodies the visual identity and the hands-on approach of the project. Highlighting the imperfections of the reclaimed wood, the vibrant product designs are crafted in "free craft punk style," as stated in the press release. "The style is 'free' in the sense that it resists standardisation—shaped more by the material's limitations than by any pre-defined design ideal. It's an unfiltered, direct form of making," the product designer explains.

For the works, Willner sources residual wood from local carpenters and manufacturers such as Fogia Collection and Dinesen Flooring, while also utilising leftover materials from her studio's renovation. "I prioritise reclaimed wood to demonstrate that even on a small scale, it's possible to create a functional system around material reuse. If I, as a one-person studio, can do this, then companies with larger infrastructures can as well," the designer believes. She challenges the conventional practices of wood extraction in the contemporary design landscape, extending the lifetime of materials considered waste. Prioritising sustainability, Willner avoids further exploitation of natural resources and attempts to prevent the environmentally devastating practices of wood harvesting, transporting and processing.

The collection utilises discarded materials without hiding its origins, highlighting its inherent and acquired irregularities while foregrounding strenuous craftsmanship. Utilising human agency as a tool, Craft Punk exists in contrast to an industry often obsessed with clinically perfect surfaces, refined, choreographed forms and virgin resources. "Besides wood, I have explored scrap leather, which I upcycled using an old craft technique called wet-moulding. This was part of Crafted Potential, where I also worked with semi-natural and synthetic fibres for padding, transformed through a Japanese method into lampshades and fibre clay forms. In [some] other works, I have explored tin (for its low melting point and recyclability), as well as clay, steel and aluminium. For future projects, I am especially curious about working with secondary or recycled stone," Willner notes.

When inquired about how the sculptural designs explore value systems in contemporary design, she says, "Beyond traditional utility, Craft Punk offers an alternative to the design industry's frequent focus on novelty and newness—a slower, more material-conscious approach rooted in context and care." Through a layered conceptual and aesthetic narrative, the distinct products pose important questions about the origin and processing of materials. Expressing her intent with the tactile upcycled designs, Willner encourages industries and designers to consider their material sourcing and processing methods deeply, and collectively try to redefine how contemporary design is approached and proffered.