Replete with earthy, experimental designs, Mircea Anghel opens doors to Studio Cabana

Meet Mircea Anghel, a Lisbon-based furniture designer running his own design practice called Studio Cabana since 2015. Anghel is known to create distinct and handcrafted furniture designs, especially for his gravity-defying piece. He moved to Lisbon in 2001, where he worked with the local boat-building community, and learned how to work with wood and other raw materials such as stone, salt, and water. His signature table design seems to float in the air, challenging the laws of physics and aesthetics. He collaborates with a diverse team of artisans, from marine biologists to computer programmers, who bring their expertise and passion to his soulful projects.

“Process, balance, and equilibrium are at the core of my work philosophy. It's all about the process,” says the Portugal-based product designer. Coupled with his love for math that helps him make his wooden furniture pieces unpredictable, he embraces the minimal and poetic essence of Japanese design, which is to let the creative process lead the way, instead of forcing a fixed result.

Anghel moved to the 1,500 sqm sawmill located in Herdade da Barrosinha, a rural estate in Alcácer do Sal in 2019. The new space gave him the opportunity to explore more extensive and more voluminous designs. The aim of this move was to preserve the local traditions of the community and live in harmony with the grounded agricultural surroundings. He also kept the sawmill active and functioning, making it accessible to shipwrights and woodworkers from all over Portugal till date.

Located in the old precinct of Companhia Agrícola da Barrosinha, the sawmill is surrounded by other factories and mills. Anghel’s summer exhibition showcases his bold and experimental designs that combine contrasting materials and asymmetric forms. A huge wall of the workshop is covered by an installation made of wood offcuts, arranged in a complex pattern of geometric shapes that interlock and overlap in frenzy. The installation keeps changing, as new offcuts are added, creating a living sculpture that reflects the Romanian designer’s passion for woodwork and its many possibilities. Other pieces in his design exhibition include tables made of wood and stone, which are inspired by nature and mathematics. They fit together in a harmonious balance, despite their apparent instability. Below, STIR takes you through some of the showcased pieces.

Democracy Table

One of his most striking pieces is 'Democracy', a table that has a white marble ball as its base and a burned wood surface. What makes the piece stand apart, is the apparent, stark contrast in the textures and surface treatments of the two parts of the whole. Curious onlookers would usually wander around its structural stability, only to discover that the table moves according to how people want to use it, setting an intriguing, dynamic statement. Anghel will also introduce new product designs in copper and wood, such as 'Asymmetric Democracy,' that follow the same mathematical formula.

Lose Control Table

'Lose Control' is made of exploded metal and burned Zazange Wood, which gives the table a smooth tactility. The form has an extended table top that seems unstable, yet, its triangular base gives stability to the organic shape of the table top, cantilevered from the vertice of the base.

Pico Rosa Table

This experimental design combines contrasting materials and asymmetric forms. The table uses Estremoz pink-veined marble and Bubinga wood, making it a classic and pleasant colour combination. The conventional design of a smooth stone tabletop, supported by a wooden base, contrasts with the unconventional design of an asymmetrical and smooth tabletop resting on a rough and irregular stone base.

Anghel mentions that he harbours a deep connection with wood and its inherent natural beauty. He spends months, sometimes years, studying a piece of wood, imagining its shape and potential when elevated to a piece of function. He uses his craftsmanship skills to reveal bespoke pieces crafted from wood, with furniture manifested as art pieces to adorn spaces with functionality and rigour.

Pico Black Table

In tandem with utilising the best qualities of two separate materials in his products, Anghel also tends to play with the colour black. Made of Azores volcanic stone and burned Zazange Wood, the burnt effect complements the seemingly different materials. Elevating his pieces by locally sourcing them, his furniture can be liberally labelled as borderline idiosyncratic designs.

Anghel loves nature and all his work is handmade, furthering the essence and intrigue of his works. He uses a variety of natural materials like wood, stone and others that he finds or can source, in a suitable condition. He works with wood, which is either quite old or very novel, as he believes it carries a certain character, making each piece a stand-alone one.

Anghel’s exhibition is accompanied by another show displaying his fresh works at the Francisco Fino Gallery in Lisbon. Currently, he is also working on two ambitious projects that aim to support the local community. The first one looks to restore traditional Portuguese boat building, while the other hopes to bring together a community of artists, designers, makers, and scientists around his workshop, where they can collaborate freely and offer residencies for ambitious young creators.

The Mircea Anghel workshop and estate will be open to the public for its summer exhibition from July 1 – August 31, 2023, at Herdade da Barrosinha – Serração Mecânica 7580-514 Alcácer do Sal, Portugal.