Cork as been used scores of years before the birth of Christ, in various Asian countries and even in Europe by the Romans. But there is one place on earth that always had the favorable climatic conditions to grow oak tree plantations… and it’s been called Portugal.
The Portugueses where the first to introduce norms related to how to treat the cork after and before its been harvested, and they gave it great importance in the use of it on ships during the Age of Discovery.
Today an American, Daniel Michalik, is the one giving it great importance, using cork as an experimental interiors material, creating objects that explore all the characteristics of it. Always respecting the material history, culture and manufacturing Daniel haves a great relation with the Portuguese producers that gave him even a more knowledge of the material itself.
Besides that is in New York City that he explores, and experiments from a scientific stand point new ways of using these amazingly sustainable material, and most of his products are made there in the Studio Space : MDFD. Taking the best of it and giving it a taste of new, this guy is really making a difference in local and world wide view of the usage of cork.
Besides a designer Daniel is a teacher, a father and eternally creative “child”, take you time to see these brief interview with him to get to learn what he is really about.
I really suggest you to take a look at his website danielmichalik.com and stay tuned because for sure he will continue to astonish us all with his new designs.
