Kołysanka
DESIGN: Kacper Dworak
Poland
make me! 2025
“Kołysanka” is a concept for a cremation urn that, through its form, relates to the natural gesture of holding a child in one’s arms, providing a symbolic sense of closeness and security in the grieving process. A biodegradable composite consisting of eggshells, cardboard and rice paste used as a binder was used to make the urn. The five-liter vessel, produced by pressing technology, contains a soil mixture that neutralizes alkaline ashes. The urn is sealed in the crematorium by wetting the starch-soaked edge of the lid. The project addresses the problem of the concentration of harmful substances within sprawling cemeteries, promoting their decentralization and drawing attention to the dangers of disrupting the ecological balance of the soil and contaminating groundwater. “Kołysanka” is in line with the secular ritual of planting trees and shrubs over burial sites, helping loved ones of the deceased in the mourning process, and finding a sense of meaning after the loss
Kołysanka, design: Kacper Dworak / from designer’s archive
Kołysanka, design: Kacper Dworak / from designer’s archive
Kołysanka, design: Kacper Dworak / from designer’s archive
Kołysanka, design: Kacper Dworak / from designer’s archive
Kacper Dworak
A student of design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, he also attended the Design Academy Eindhoven for a year. He comes from the modest village of Psary located in western Lesser Poland. He spent his childhood in his father’s workshop, where prototypes of urban furniture, produced in the fledgling family business, were his backyard playground.
Today, play is at the core of his design process, manifesting itself in his interest in material experiments, innovative production methods, but also in the design of learning experiences and educational systems.
In his free time, he seeks form in drawing and collage techniques while developing his visual language. He also enjoys long walks and Polish jazz. In the future, he dreams of creating a design atelier open to the collaboration of creatives from different fields.
