The art of experimentation with Draga & Aurel
An instinct-driven partnership, Draga & Aurel transform humble materials through experimentation, intuition, and shared artistic vision, crafting objects where process, error, and discovery become the true markers of preciousness.
In this episode of Behind, DesignWanted visits the Como-based duo Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow—partners in life and in work—whose creative Draga & Aurel practice blurs the boundaries between art, design, and craftsmanship. Their story begins far from strategy or commercial intention: it emerges instead from intuition, curiosity, and a shared desire to experiment with materials.
Both artists trained as painters at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. After years spent pursuing separate creative paths—Draga in textile design, Aurel in music—each reached a moment of personal and artistic crisis. That pause opened a space for experimentation, a return to instinct rather than discipline.
In the early 2000s, long before sustainability became a cultural keyword, the duo began working with reclaimed objects and unconventional materials. “We weren’t thinking about recycling,” they recall. “We were looking for bases where we could apply our arts and transform objects—through fabric for Draga, through resin for Aurel.” Those early encounters with materials would define the evolution of their studio.
Their approach rejects predetermined frameworks. “We never had a business plan,” they say. “We started out of pure enthusiasm—to give form to the visions that appeared when we began mixing materials.” Every new project still begins with the same impulsive energy, a shared intuition that arrives almost simultaneously for both. It is a way of working that privileges openness over control, allowing the material to lead rather than follow.
For Aurel, experimentation is the essential foundation of any artistic process. “There’s no real prediction,” he explains. “There’s only the desire to express a feeling or an idea. And the joy of experimenting—of doing something truly new—is what makes the work come alive.” The more unfamiliar the ground, the more authentic the outcome. This willingness to embrace the unknown becomes a creative engine that moves the duo continually forward.
Draga articulates a complementary perspective. Their experimentation is not only about discovering methods, but also about redefining the idea of preciousness. “We choose not to work with precious materials,” she says. “Instead, we make the process itself precious—the traces of hands, discoveries, transformations. The final piece becomes valuable because it carries those layers of exploration.” Their objects often reveal gestures, textures, and chromatic transitions that bear witness to the studio’s artistic process, turning everyday materials into pieces that feel intimate, expressive, and refined.
Working outside the realm of conventional materials naturally invites unpredictability. Resin reacts; fabric absorbs; reclaimed surfaces carry histories that resist control. “When you push beyond your comfort zone, you inevitably encounter error,” they explain. “Unpredictability is almost daily. It keeps us alert, deeply engaged, ready to make decisions in the moment.” This dynamic engagement becomes part of the work itself, shaping compositions, colours, and forms with a sense of immediacy.
Over time, what began as a spontaneous experiment evolved into a studio capable of supporting not only their lives but also a growing team of collaborators. Yet despite the expansion, their vision has remained unchanged. Their practice continues to thrive on instinct, emotional intuition, and a refusal to separate art from design. A piece might begin with the texture of a reclaimed panel or the chromatic potential of resin, but its final identity emerges only through the act of making—a fluid dialogue between intention and accident.
Draga & Aurel remind us that creativity is less about certainty and more about the courage to remain open. Their work transforms ordinary materials into expressive objects, while their story speaks to the transformative power of experimentation—an approach that celebrates process as much as outcome.
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