Material explorations, traditional craft and the hand of the maker place these emerging designers at the forefront of collectable design.
This piece originally appeared in est magazine issue 55: ‘Faces of Design’.
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Combining cabinet-making and engineering backgrounds with a fine arts and ceramics practice, Natasza Grzeskiewicz and Tomás Fernandes each bring a unique set of skills. The duo first met during a residency in France and are now based in Portugal, working under the moniker THER.
At the heart of their work is respect for materials, which are used as the starting point to guide both concept and form. “We often find ourselves with a material that is only repeatable once,” Grzeskiewicz explains, emphasising the uniqueness of each piece they create. The process is tactile and fluid—drawing, scribbling and shaping by hand—but always allowing the material to lead.
The creations emerge as iterations of their origins, evolving naturally without a predetermined outcome. Rooted in a deep connection between mind and hands, THER’s approach celebrates the spontaneity of making, resulting in objects that exude their raw beginnings and artistic vision.
Natasza Grzeskiewicz and Tomás Fernandes first met in France and now both have set up home in Portugal with a design practice focused on materiality.
Grzeskiewicz’s background is in ceramics.
The Askew chair lets the natural edge of each timber slice shine, making no two ever the same.
Letting the materials guide the process, the founders of the Portuguese-based studio Ther allow space for each object to express itself.
