Do not disturb my coffee zen

Jana Potiron

Coffee Zen gardens is a process collection - the sensory experience during the use is a important as the process of creation. The material will change its characteristics over time. It will last long enough for its functionality but not too long to become obsolete. This is a new way the designers can experiment and create without making superfluous products. The only thing needed here is time!

Do not disturb my coffee zen

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The ritual of drinking coffee is about a life stories. It can be an individual experience, but it can also be a reason for meeting. It can start a conversation with strangers, but it is also an excuse to take a break. Perhaps no drink is associated as many cultural customs and different rituals as coffee.

I have decided to conserve the coffee grounds in everyday objects. The process of casting coffee with the binding agent starts with drying and fine sifting of the used still aromatic grounds, which is the most enjoyable part of the process. This facilitate unusual sensory experience through a series of objects, useful in the coffee-drinking ritual, they can also increase concentration and awaken creativity and playfulness. I created the zen gardens with a relaxation effect - similar to the coffee drinking itself.

The Coffee Zen Gardens connect the western and eastern cultures and they offer visual, tactile, and aromatic experiences. Coffee is used in a liquid, loose, and firm state. The objects' morphology of the coffee and wood combination reminds us of recycling, sustainability, traditional craft and promotes personal development.

Collection contains several vases made from coffee and from found objects like glass or concrete components.

Material: Used coffee grounds pressed with PVA binding, air-dried;

Maple wood; (in 2^nd edition Porcelain) Rice straw. Stone, glass

Additives: Paper, Plant roots (for example thyme)

I have experimented with many natural binding materials (mineral, plant, animal-based). I was looking for the ideal quality of a firm board: sturdiness, durability, and retaining the coffee aroma. In the end, I have settled on an ecological version of commonly used inorganic PVA glue, which is non-toxic and decomposable.

The material has been fully handmade, without the need for special machines or forms. Only in the finishing of a few specific objects I have used some traditional carpentry techniques like turning, cutting, and grinding.

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