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Peter Barens

ArteZ University of the arts

My name is Peter Barens, and I am a product designer and maker. My practice is driven by a fascination with work, craft, and labour, both as concepts and as physical processes. I see making not simply as a means to an end, but as a way of thinking, questioning, and understanding the world around me.Through my work, I explore how value is constructed through materials, production methods, and surface.

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Flux

Category: Furniture

Competitions: Home Competition 2026

Flux is a prototype steam-bent lounge chair made from ash wood. Constructed using mortise and tenon joints and dowels, the project explores the material properties of wood and how they can be used to create a functional piece of furniture. The name Flux refers to allowing the wood to flow again, much like it once did when it was still a living tree. Steam bending offers an approach that works with the natural behavior of the material, creating curves without additional glue or unnecessary waste, unlike processes such as lamination. It is a technique that requires time, patience, and respect for the material, qualities that wood deserves. Flux is an exploration of designing with a material rather than simply designing from it, embracing its properties and limitations instead of forcing it into a predetermined form.

In association with Arts Thread

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.