Nature By Design (Part 1)

Part 1: How fauna and flora shaped the human mind.

Tocean, lagoons, and rivers provided the peoples of all continents many resources — not least the enrichment of their imagination. From the legends describing the birth of islands pulled out of the waters and separated from the sky by the gods in Hawaii and New Zealand to the primordial crocodile of the Middle Sepik in New Guinea, everything originates from water. The interplay between man, land, and water throughout different cultures, allowed for the emergence of tools, particular geometry, and ornamentation.

Our relationship with nature fashioned how we perceive the world. In this first installment of a 3-part series, we will voyage through various cultures and how nature influenced the human mind, ultimately influencing our design choices.

China’s Poyang Lake. Permanent areas of water can be seen in blue. Pink shows areas where water is found less often. European Commission. Joint Research Centre, 2016

Value in patterns

In Oceania, cultural exchange from missionaries caused art and ornamentation to evolve. Shown below is a patchwork or tivaevae. The art of patchwork has an important cultural dimension in the Cook Islands. Maintained in families, these fabrics perpetuate a long female textile tradition and are objects of value and exchange. They are put into circulation at special events and are used more daily in homes or churches. Techniques and materials from Europe, i.e. stitching and…