Hivera
Chipboard, mylar, brass. .5″h x 3’w x 5’d. 2014.
A modular architectural fabric that flexes and self supports, made of three components, each cut and assembled by hand. Inspired by the form and cooperative function of beehives and the honeycomb contained within, hivera is flexible in six directions. As this piece was a freshman project the process was incredibly labor-intensive, with each piece cut, scored, and punched out by hand. Looking back, I should have gotten up the courage to get training on the laser-cutters, as it would have taken me a quarter of the time.
Rosebud
Ash, cork, brass. 26-44″h x 7″w x 1.5″d. 2016.
Rosebud is a cane for all users, meant to destigmatize the use of a mobility aid through innovative form and appealing materials. For a more comfortable and supported stride, Rosebud has a rolling foot, which is wider than that of a standard cane and allows Rosebud to stand on its own. Rosebud embraces sustainability, is completely disassemblable and is made entirely from biodegradable materials and standard fasteners. In the process of making this cane I became very attached to the concept and would like to develop it further, devising a more sophisticated adjustment method, designing accessories, and eventually allowing the form to transform from a crutch to a cane to a walker.
Boe
Felt, copper, rice paper. 16”h x 25”w x 4”d. 2016.
A series of light fixtures which use felt made from reclaimed scrap yarn to alter the quality of the light. Due to the varying nature of the resource stream, each edition of Boe is unique, lending an air of individuality to the space it inhabits. This project was fascinating to me as it required me to learn a number of new processes, including solid and wet-felting and aspects of nonferrous metalworking, including brazing, annealing, and soldering.
Bio
Niko Prytula is a designer, artist, and fabricator born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Her interest in industrial design stems largely from her distrust of capitalist society and the materialism and social darwinism it breeds. She believes that the best way to transform the culture of capitalism and materialism is from the inside, and has thus been studying Product Design at Parsons, the New School for Design for the past three years.
