Old Stories Find New Life in Andu Masebo and Charley Keighley’s Collaborative Art Piece

In the last episode of Discarded Spirits Co.’s new art series, Andu Masebo and Charley Keighley embarked on a tactile approach to crafting a drinks-related design piece with waste materials. After exploring a multitude of considerations, they landed on one simple question that became pivotal to their design journey: “How can we bring context to an inanimate object?”

As the creatives looked to answer the focal question, they designed a multi-functional room divider that combined their unique penchant for material-led experimentation. Propping up the piece against the rugged backdrop of his workshop Masebo explains, “Our room divider looks the way it does because of the materials we used. We didn’t map out a detailed blueprint and make a prototype. Each element just came together naturally.” The finished piece comprises a statement three-piece frame constructed with the product designer’s leftover tubular steel.

Perfectly blending the soft and hard of each other’s mediums, the rounded edge structure plays host to strips of fabric patchworked by upcycler Keighley. “The divider came to life when we stretched the fabric over the steel,” she says. “It was really interesting to work with a traditionally soft draping fabric in this unusual way and find new life for it alongside the metal.” Drawing inspiration from the invention of the Discarded Spirits Co.’s Sweet Casara Vermouth – which repurposes the unused coffee cherry shells to make a complexly aromatic liqueur – the creatives looked at how scrap materials found in their studios can be manipulated and brought into a different realm. “It was important that the product was informed by the material over other design factors,” Keighley adds.

With the Sweet Cascara Vermouth proving to be a prominent influence throughout their design journey, Keighley later expanded on the storytelling around the spirit by introducing a panel of red tones. “At first we stuck with the classic pinstripes, but then we were struck by the bold punch of red from the Sweet Cascara Vermouth,” she explains. Heading to her local charity shops, she sourced a mix of bright shirts and got to work on her signature technique, juxtaposing them against the cool steel color and the more neutral shirts to give the divider more depth.

To finish the piece, the duo took a minimal approach, opting for no treatments or decoration in order to showcase the origins of their repurposed materials. “What we used to make our object had a life before, and we wanted to play into this,” Masebo explains. During their process, they discovered how the components from the materials could be left in-tact to reveal their unique character. This meant keeping the cool silver metal unpolished and in its raw state, whilst Keighley ensured the button plackets and pockets remained on each patch of fabric. “Much like Discarded’s drinks, these disused objects have their own pre-existing story,” says Keighley. “By keeping their original features, they make the user think about who it belonged to before, and where it was used whilst bringing it into a completely new piece and giving it a new identity.” The storytelling behind their circularity connects their creative approach with Discarded Spirits Co., shaping the way they approach their crafts.

Going back to the overarching focus, Masebo answers the question that started the collaborative piece, “These pieces had a life before, I suppose that is what makes it interesting and gives it context – just like Discarded Spirits Co.’s beverages.” Honing in on his closely considered journey of materiality, the product designer concludes, “I hope this divider shapes the way people enjoy their drinks, and more importantly, inspires people to find a new life for their disused belongings.”

Explore the full creative-led series on Hypebeast now. For more information on Discarded Spirits Co., head to the website and Instagram page now.

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