“Made out of dough” organic design objects by Victoria Yakusha

Victoria Yakusha, a Ukraine-based artist, brings a new line of furniture made out of Recycled metal, cellulose, wood chips, and clay as main ingredients.

ZTISTA (in Ukrainian — made of dough) design objects are made of simple organic materials with respect to nature. In developing such design pieces like chair, table, bench, mirror and coffee table, Victoria collaborated with local Ukrainian artisans who use modeling techniques, which involves the coating of a solid surface with a mixture of organic materials.

For ZTISTA`s frameworks, Victoria Yakusha uses recycled steel, which is also covered with ecological primer to avoid corrosion of metal and extend the life of the design object. After that, the frame is covered by hand with a special mixture of cellulose (recycled paper), linen, clay, wood chips, and straw.

To hold it all together on a metal frame and to give the design object durability and high operational qualities designer used a biopolymer based on corn starch, which is safe for the environment and human health.

“I always try to re-think materials that we use for product design, making them not just natural but also long-living and available for further reuse” – says Victoria Yakusha.

ZTISTA design line tends to showcase the beauty of natural imperfection. Plastic mysterious forms, overflow of shades, uneven surface as if it is made from a sticky binder with many irregularly shaped holes – all of this creates an extraordinary character of ZTISTA design objects.

Made by the hands of the artisan, every design piece has a unique surface that holds the “fingerprints” of its maker.

ZTISTA received 1st prize on Ukrainian design contest 2019 in Kyiv for the chair design, where Marcel Wanders, leading Dutch designer and co-founder of Moooi, acted as a Head of Jury and Guest of Honour.

The whole line of ZTISTA organic design was released at Kazerne creative hub in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week in October 2019.

About Victoria Yakusha

Victoria, the founder of YAKUSHA and FAINA, is renowned as one of the most prominent Ukrainian architects on the international stage, shaping contemporary Ukrainian design into a distinctive brand. Through her creative pursuits, she crafts enduring legacies—ideas and objects that gain significance and value over time, influencing the culture of future generations.

In her role as an architect, she introduced the concept of “live minimalism,” a design philosophy that harmoniously combines simplicity with environmental sustainability. This approach embodies a synergy between living spaces and materials that breathe and radiate energy. “Live minimalism” emphasizes coexistence with nature, leaving behind a cultural legacy rather than an environmental footprint.