Zanat: slow design in an automated world

It may be recognised as an emerging design enterprise, but woodcraft has long been at the heart of Bosnian brand Zanat. It all started with Gano Niksic, who discovered a unique hand-carving technique from a small village near Konjic. After teaming up with established furniture manufacturers, he began to show his designs at fairs and exhibitions, and passed his woodworking expertise down to his sons.

The skill involved is undeniable. Requiring immense patience and a steady hand, the Konjic technique has remained largely unchanged and takes talent and years of training to fully master. Designs are sketched directly onto the wood, which is manually cut and chiselled. The freehand technique allows for almost limitless creativity, and the result is furniture that is truly unique and where no two pieces are exactly the same.

The first Niksic woodshop was opened in 1919. Now, three generations later, the family are keeping Konjic woodcarving alive. Yet the brand as we know it today was an unexpected evolution. The year was 2013, the location an idyllic island of Croatia, when the lightbulb moment struck Orhan Niksic. What if their traditional techniques were to be merged with contemporary design? And so, Zanat was born.

Designers were instantly drawn to the idea. The intricate carvings breathed new life into modern designs that might otherwise feel familiar, creating collections that stood out from the crowd. Take the etched surface of the Koam Sideboard, or the tactile patterns of the Dama-T Lounge Chair. Today the brand has collaborated with names such as Ilse Crawford, Jean-Marie Massaud and Ludovica and Roberto Palomba.

Yet Zanat’s concept is founded on so much more than just quality furniture design. While much of furniture manufacturing has seen a move towards automation, Zanat’s designs simply cannot be achieved without their fine craftsmanship. The intricate hand-carved textures, patterns and tactility of their designs could hardly be replicated with even the most technologically advanced machines. For many companies, this might be seen as unsustainable. For Zanat, however, it is intrinsic to their mission and broader vision of sustainability that looks beyond environmental to include socio-economic and cultural effects.

At a time where millions of skilled people are losing their jobs to computers, Zanat are using their need for craftsmanship as a way to create new job opportunities in their community. It’s not a move against automation, but rather a solution to its side effects; a way to protect world heritage while giving back to their people.

Bosnia suffers from high rates of unemployment, with over half of under 25s out of work. By basing their brand around craft and skill, Zanat have been able to employ and train new people every year, almost quadrupling its workforce - and this number is only increasing with time. They pay their workers what they are truly worth, allowing them to invest back into their families and set their children up for success.

Zanat are determined to not only benefit their employees, but the wider community too. They will soon be sharing their knowledge through a woodcarving academy, and help smaller craftsmen with their export and marketing expertise. The hope is that, by proving that this way of business works, others will eventually follow suit, reexamining their practices to see what mark they are leaving on the world.

By respecting the past while looking to the future, Zanat are ensuring that theirs is one to be proud of.

RSVP to our Private View of 'Waste Not Want Not', our LDF showcase featuring Zanat.