illya goldman gubin sculpts recycled furniture by pouring resin and fiberglass into cardboard

‘Karton’ by Illya Goldman Gubin

Cardboard boxes and packages that are often shipped might be discarded or set aside for future use after they were received. In Illya Goldman Gubin’s case, he adds Epoxy resin and fiberglass to these boxes, shapes and sculpts them into chairs and tables that people can sit or place their objects on, and leads his series ‘Karton.’ The Berlin-based designer experiments with the functionality of cardboard boxes and packages through sculptural works.

He refuses to believe they are only used as containers. His attempts have resulted in a selection of works that he calls ‘utility in function.’ The stiffened resinated cardboard sculptures circle back to childhood memories that are dear to Gubin. For him, his works recall the tables and chairs children hop on and off as they play around. But before he materialized his series, it took Gubin some time to toy with the materials he had in mind.

images courtesy of Illya Goldman Gubin via IGG Works | image: Illya Goldman Gubin, Papier Tisch 1B Grün, 2021 | header: Illya Goldman Gubin, Papier Tisch 1B Grün, 2021 (left) & Illya Goldman Gubin, Karton Bank 1B Natur, 2021 (right)

Repurposing furniture with resin and fiberglass

Illya Goldman Gubin of IGG Works and IGG Atelier started with smaller prototypes in 2020 for his series ‘Karton.’ As years went by, his creations took in more volume and playfulness while retaining the characteristics of the cardboard. The creases along the boxes, the irregular flaps of the lids, and the deformation of the edges.

As the creator puts it, the crushed and handmade appearances of the cardboard sculptures bring the viewers back to their earliest memories, fusing the past relations with the present materials through his craftsmanship. ‘Resin and fiberglass have been brought to reality which before only existed in our youthful imagination. Past daydreams propelled into reality, these boxes call for engagement,’ writes Gubin.

Illya Goldman Gubin, Karton Bank 1B Natur, 2021

The exclusive furniture collection of Gubin seems modular too. When stacked, the hardened boxes may act as cabinets or shelves positioned in the corner of one’s home. If renovating the purpose of the space comes to mind, users can just lay each box on the ground and turn them into stools or additional storage in the living room. Loved ones can gather around Gubin’s long and low table wrapped in black paper and sit on the resinated boxes as they enjoy each other’s company, sharing stories over meals.

Illya Goldman Gubin, Karton Bank 1B Natur, 2021

Gubin states that cardboard as a material is normally associated with transport and movement. In his repertoire, it becomes a domestic object that stays true to its raw aesthetics while bringing a new meaning to its purpose.

‘Movement of goods within these boxes now alludes to mental movement and support outward; interior becomes exterior and back again. What we once carried can now carry us,’ he adds. ‘A full body-of-work referencing itself; all we have is all we need. The cognitive boundaries of the relation to the work and even the assembly of the forms, is already present and accessible. All that’s left for us is to return to our curious minds. Karton is born from remembering this mindset.’

Illya Goldman Gubin, Karton Stuhl 1B Natur, 2021