#22 Object Talks: Playing with metal
Lichen Design Resident Thana Pramadono on the twists and turns that paved her path
Welcome to Objectively #22! Object Talks is a sub-series on conversations with creatives who work with objects—such as makers, collectors, and curators—about their practice.
For today’s edition, we have Thana Pramadono, Design Resident at Lichen NYC, sharing some discoveries in her exploration of the design world to date. Some of which transpiring from dreams and mishap. In its midst, existential dread led her to creating a personal manifesto, “to transcend and share this carelessness yet careful way of being” a part of it.
Being the thing that drew me to reach out to Thana—we go deeper into what led her to make her first wearable design, TOOTHLESS, and how it feels to design for a body versus a space. She also tells us what she will ask Isamu Noguchi if given the chance.
Thana Pramadono (she/her) is a NYC-based Industrial Designer. Migrating from Jakarta to New York, her nomadic upbringing allowed her to establish an eye of playful curiosity and exploration.
She obtained her BFA in Products and Industrial Design from Parsons School of Design (2022) and is currently working with Lichen NYC as a designer. Emphasizing in metal work, she reveals ways in which objects can be sites of exploration.
Hi Thana! Of your many great works, TOOTHLESS drew me to reach out. Can you take us through your concept for it? What inspired you to make it?
TOOTHLESS was a product of learning the lost wax carving technique! I would describe myself as a careless person, precision is an effort to me. Most of the time I try to listen to what the medium has to say, trying not to fight it.
The wax had plenty to show me, it was really exciting. I got sucked into hand carving, as well as utilizing different types of Dremel bits to create intricate shapes, without losing sight of the volume the ring could provide. I was really into the idea of playing with negative space, making a ring that can expose your skin underneath. A whole lot of learning turned into a series of meditative states, blasting house music in my ears. The ring is the smallest object I have ever worked on.
It wasn’t until the midway point that I realized the series of holes made it look like gum, with freshly pulled-out teeth. Immediately, it evoked a visceral reaction I’ve previously encountered in my dreams (a collective textbook dream… right?). Isn’t it crazy how we can feel something we’ve never experienced? Losing teeth in a dream generally symbolizes rebirth; I thought it would be nice to share this state of metamorphosis for everyone. TOOTHLESS is also exciting because it is my first ever object in which a person can wear!
How does it feel for you that people are able to wear your work?
I’ve never been a gift giver, but I’ve always loved friendship bracelets and charms, dainty things. TOOTHLESS kind of reignited that young-girl and her best friends feeling. It’s so wholesome!
Wearables are a whole other realm in design, it’s an ecosystem in itself. If furniture lives in a space, jewelry lives directly on one's body. It’s been interesting thinking about the weight a designer may have on another person’s appearance... I feel very honored and gratified to have a piece of my labor physically rest on someone’s body, especially when they personally resonate with the narrative of the design.
Take us back to your earliest days of doing design… How did you get into it?
I grew up in big cities yet small, close-knit schools. In my experience, whatever class you excelled in (a.k.a get good grades in), that subject became your identity and future. I’ve always had an inclination for the arts, taking shape through drawing, painting, documenting, sculpting. I enjoyed seeing and making what pleases my eyes.
At the same time, my family has always encouraged me to love the sciences, so I did! I focused on Physics and Chemistry in high school. The plot twist is that because of the small number of students, it became very challenging to hide. I was the appointed student who did not do well in science class, and made the teachers wonder why I still persisted to choose that major.
Pursuing art school was an option, but engineering school looked more appetizing for the adults. It was not until a few months before the college application deadlines that I learned about Industrial Design; it felt like my calling. The perfect intersection between art, craft, and problem solving.
How did you later arrive at metal as central to your work?
In my sophomore year of design school, we were taught to approach design by learning fabrication and craft skills. The first material we collectively learned was wood. In my first week, I got myself into a woodshop accident whilst learning how to use the bandsaw. The class was canceled and I had to walk myself into the ER with a poorly wrapped bandage around my thumb. Ever since that day, I get intrusive thoughts whenever I walk into a woodshop. To the metal shop it is!
Luckily, I fell in love with the material. It’s the perfect in-between of wood and ceramics. Metal allows you to be a little less careful and fix mistakes (unlike wood) all whilst creating a costaud piece (unlike ceramics). Something about the clings and the clangs of a metal shop keeps me going; seeing the sparks when grinding metal, and forging and playing with heat, it’s all exhilarating. To be able to manipulate the molecular structure of metal, and of course the overall feeling of the appearance, pleases me. Finding ways to turn metal into a gentle and inviting material is a constant exercise.
You also work across mediums. What do you feel about making varied work?
There are so many things in this world I can’t help but lose focus! I see wonders in the existence of diverse spaces, the existence of books and bookbinding methods, jewelry, clothes, furniture, objects, cultures, music. I just want to tap into everything. It’s a blessing and a curse. I’m definitely the type to be juggling 10 projects at once, to provide myself a fresh perspective each time I jump back into one, otherwise I’ll lose momentum.
Seeing that you’ve explored with breadth, do you feel like there was a point in your practice when things took a turn, whether in terms of your process or sense of identity?
During semesters leading up to my Senior Capstone, I became very existential. In part due to COVID, and feeling helpless in a world going through a tragedy. I was taking a lot of environmental and social liberal arts classes. How are my silly little lamps going to solve world hunger? Problems that are more often than not deeply rooted.
I decided to dissect the reason why I want to pursue design and understand what I want to share. Kind of like creating a manifesto for myself. I find joy in craft, and letting your hands guide your practice. Play is everywhere, play is design! To play means following joy and your intuition. It’s about the power of curiosity, imagination and experiments, about learning and adjusting while doing.
My goal as a designer (as of now) is to transcend and share this carelessness yet careful way of being. Trusting a process without knowing the results, approaching the world with an open mind. Coming into terms with making objects that clothe your humble abode. Important!
On joining Lichen as Design Resident, you shared online that you “started frequenting the showroom during their Pop-ups and [got] to know some of the members and thought: this is the environment I’d like to be in. A space for play, exploration, design, mentorship and support.”
How has the last few months of working with Lichen informed the ways you create?
Lichen has given me the space to create freely, all whilst staying realistic. I’ve become more aware of the product cycle (ideating, production, packaging, display, unboxing etc.), taking a step back and considering the user’s experience because we’re in direct contact with customers. They’ve shown me that ideal, casual, productive, forward thinking and empathic work environments exist!
Looking ahead - what’s a dream project for you?
A dream project would be opening my own bar. Perhaps by the sea. Perhaps calling it Moon Bar. Perhaps involving friends, design, community, education, food, bevs, and culture.
Before you go, who’s another creator that you enjoy? If given the chance, what’s one question you’ll ask them?
Isamu Noguchi never ceases to inspire me. I’ll ask him what he does for fun.
Further reading (and visits if you’re in NYC):
Check out Lichen, a design incubator centred around furniture, spatial design, and the discovery of how we interact with these elements.
Look up Head Hi, a space dedicated to art and design specialising in publications and cultural programming with an espresso bar located in Brooklyn.
#23 next week will be a Living with Objects feature with Tia (Thục Anh Dương), Co-Founder of Sum Suê, an international design and architectural services group based in the UK and Vietnam.
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