Aryawan Mantra’s Fable Collection was awarded best design for furniture by a young professional at the recent design camp

Aryawan Mantra was into his second year as a freelance furniture designer when he came across the open call for participants in the design camp jointly organised by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and HDII Jakarta. He seized the opportunity and signed up.

During the design camp, Mantra has had the opportunity to be mentored by Mr. Abie Abdillah, whom he holds in high regard. Abdillah challenged the designers to consider both the perspectives of the user, as well as the technical aspects of design, which underpin successful design.

Mantra believes that furniture design needs to be rooted in culture. He said. “As a young designer from Indonesia, I’ve seen different types of cultures that we have across the country. The tradition, culture, and history teach us about the moral values, systems and unique aspects of our heritage. Through my furniture, I want to convey these values so that they are remembered by the younger generation. I believe that in design, local culture must be combined with advanced technological processes. By doing so, I hope to develop practical designs that can attract the attention of the younger generation.”

As such, it was no surprise that Mantra took inspiration for his Fable Collection from classic Indonesian children’s fable Si Kancil dan Buaya (Mouse, Deer and Crocodile). He seeks to inspire children’s imagination and aid their learning through this versatile furniture set. The crocodile-inspired desk doubles up as a sturdy book shelf. In addition, the detailing on the desk allows it to serve as a stand for gadgets in order to facilitate remote learning, which became the norm during the Covid-19 pandemic. Accompanying the desk is the deer-inspired stool that can be turned into a rocking deer – perfect for both studying and playing.

The design camp gave designers the opportunity to learn about the unique properties of the American red oak, including its strength and versatility, but it was the timber’s beauty that caught Mantra’s attention, “In creating my own design, I would like to showing the beauty from the source of material, which is red oak. I hope my design attracts people’s attention by showing the beauty of red oak itself.”

American red oak is a porous material which means it accepts stains and finishes particularly well, which allowed Mantra to show the natural grain of some pieces, while painting others in his set.

Follow Aryawan Mantra on Instagram @aryawanmantra