How do artists use rattan to explore the duality of natural vs. artificial?
Rattan, a natural and sustainable material, has become a powerful medium for contemporary artists to examine the contrast between the organic and the man-made. By weaving, bending, and reshaping rattan, artists create works that challenge perceptions of nature and artifice. Some use its raw, fibrous texture to emphasize its natural origins, while others manipulate it into sleek, geometric forms that mimic industrial design. This duality allows artists to comment on sustainability, human intervention in nature, and the blurred boundaries between handmade and machine-made aesthetics. Through rattan, they provoke conversations about environmental responsibility while pushing the limits of traditional craftsmanship.
