Product Designer Tino Seubert: Between The Industrial And The Organic

One example of how such enhancement manifests in Seubert’s practice is his ongoing research into the anodization of metals. Anodizing is an electrochemical process in which metal, such as aluminium, is immersed in a special bath and connected to electricity. While this first step of the process increases the durability and rust resistance of the material, immersing the metal in an additional bath enriched with pigments leads to a modification of its colour. Seubert’s initial study of this technique, which is an integral part of his practice today, gave rise to his Anodised Wicker collection, originally presented in 2018.

The collection comprised benches, armchairs, and stools (two of which were included in the show) constructed from extruded aluminium and coloured in hues of red and purple. Their surfaces, along with the back- and armrests, were—inspired by Hans J. Wegner’s designs from the 1950s—hand-woven from natural cane. Back then, these works also opened up a new design philosophy for Seubert and formed the starting point for his interest in juxtaposing the industrial and the organic.

Building on this exploration of anodizing, Seubert, in 2021, created a series of over-dimensional planters for the fashion brand MCQ that were showcased in their stores across the US, Asia, and the United Kingdom. Departing from the method of immersing the metal in a bath to change its colour, the designer started to use alternative ways of applying the pigments on the surface. Dripping, splashing, and spraying the dye onto the metal finally resulted in abstract patterns reminiscent of space photography, a galaxy.