Forestrest is a series of stools, side tables, and vessels designed for serving food or holding natural objects like fruit and flowers. It transforms humble birch bark into sculptural yet functional furniture and tabletop pieces. Inspired by the nomadic life and traditional practices of the Oroqen people in Northern China, the project reinterprets indigenous craft knowledge through a contemporary design lens, building a bridge between minority heritage and sustainable modern production. Each work retains the bark’s natural scars, textures, and curves, letting the material itself guide the form—a forward-thinking, material-first design logic that embraces organic irregularity.

Functionally, these objects are created for everyday living, despite their artistic presence. The stools and tables are structurally stable, while the vessels are suited to holding fruit or flowers. Birch bark naturally offers water resistance and strength; the surfaces are sealed using only natural wood wax, preserving both safety and authenticity. Each piece is stitched together from multiple layers of bark, forming strong yet lightweight structures. This construction method, rooted in traditional patchwork techniques, provides exceptional durability and enables an elegant balance between lightness and strength in handcrafted form.

Creatively, Forestrest highlights material irregularity as a source of aesthetic richness. Each piece’s form is shaped by the organic flow of the bark, and imperfections are not corrected but embraced—transformed into a unique visual language. This “shape-following” strategy imbues the furniture with a quiet, tactile warmth, giving each object both sculptural presence and emotional intimacy.

On the ecological and social level, the project expresses a dual commitment to the environment and cultural continuity. Birch bark is a renewable, biodegradable material, harvested in accordance with forest cycles and without industrial waste. The natural wax finish avoids synthetic coatings entirely. Beyond materials, Forestrest revives the wisdom embedded in peripheral knowledge systems—bringing the Oroqen’s craft traditions into a new context and prompting reflection on cultural resilience, ecological ethics, and the role of indigenous knowledge in sustainable design.

Ultimately, Forestrest represents a harmonious fusion of innovation, functionality, creativity, and eco-social responsibility. It offers a poetic, grounded response to the relationship between materials, craft, and culture—an expression of contemporary design rooted in nature.