The British-Persian team of Abdollah and Kate Nafisi of Nafisi Studio have resolved to re-imagine and progress their craft, respecting workmanship but making it playful, happy, and bringing it right up to date. Abi’s training in woodworking, fine joinery and deep knowledge of craft is complemented by Kate’s background in software design and art curation which brings with it a love of ergonomic design and function coupled with a desire to work sustainably. You might recognise Abi from The BBC programme The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts.
Earlier this year Nafisi Studio hosted a steam bending workshop at New Brewery Arts, teaching students to make their very own steam bent lamp. We asked Alice Cooper (Our marketing manager) to take part, and to share her experiences in this blog:
“Day one started without any expectation that we students had any prior knowledge of either woodworking or steam bending, that said, there were several very capable woodworkers taking part who were keen to learn the new skill of steam bending.
Abi had brought with him oak and ash which had fallen during the great storm of 1987 and had spent the last 30 years drying nicely…it was this we would use to make the steam bent arms of our lamps. Steam bending is possible on a domestic basis with a basic steambox; our wood was loaded into the steambox and left to steam for three hours, with the water being topped up regularly. Meanwhile, the important work of sawing our bases using Japanese pull saws took place; I was going to need plenty of practice with these new tools before being let loose to cut my final base.
Wood is made of cellulose bound together with lignin; steaming renders the lignin pliable, but only for a short time, as it rapidly hardens. It’s therefore essential to work very quickly to achieve a good result. We familiarised ourselves with the jig which would shape the wood, the straps and G-clamps we’d be using and were instructed on the importance of teamwork whilst working under time pressure. Then the wood in the steambox was ready to bend.
We began by bending some practice pieces; needless to say, there were blunders due to bending too quickly (cracked wood or knots) or too slowly (not bent enough) but the teamwork and enthusiasm were impressive. Taking a deep breath, we plunged upon the real thing, and went to work steam bending the hot wood around the jig, securing it with four clamps (shouts of “Clamp 1! Clamp 2!” could be heard as the wood was curved slowly around, limbs flailing as Clamper 1 dodged Clamper 2 and so on) until the final shape was achieved and we left it to dry overnight.
Day 2 involved the hard work of sawing a piece from our base to allow the arm of our lamps to sit perfectly; no need for heaters in the studio as the elbow grease generated plenty of warmth and rosy cheeks.
Next, we subjected our lamp bases and arms to some serious hand-sanding, with tips for repairing along the way; smooth lines and a tactile finish were needed before assembly. One student wanted an oiled finish, another burnished his and at the end of the day we finished our lamps with different bulbs and cords. Each lamp was as individual as its maker, and we all left satisfied with our unique creation.
Throughout the two days Abi expertly wove together the theory behind wood growth, structure, its tension and compression and steam bending with hands-on practice and encouragement. His generosity in sharing his knowledge and passion for his craft, supporting us through all our mistakes (something to learn from - this could be another design!”) inspired us all to be more fluid in our thoughts, to not worry too much if our work wasn’t immediately perfect and to enjoy the imperfections of learning a new technique and making something unique by hand.”
