In 2025, my work in the field of collectible design was guided by a single principle: full focus on craftsmanship and on the process behind each object. I understand collectible design as a practice in which designing and making are inseparable, and where the pace of work is determined by the material, the technique, and responsibility for the final result.
During that year, I created six collectible objects and, in parallel, completed one piece commissioned specifically by a designer. It was conceived for a particular interior and its architectural context. This way of working allows me to maintain coherence, precision, and real control over every stage of a piece’s creation.
Quality as a starting point
Working on a small scale means that I personally oversee every element of a piece, from material selection and construction decisions to the final finishing. I also make the brass components myself, including tambour tracks and shelf mounting pins, elements that are essential both to function and to the character of the object.
I use traditional woodworking techniques because they are a proven and logical way of working with wood. Each object is made by hand and retains traces of the process. These are not concealed. They are an integral part of the piece and reflect its authenticity.
Collectible design in workshop practice
On the Bensari Workshop blog, I have previously written about the relationship between craft, function, and tradition in collectible design. This text continues those reflections and shows how these ideas operate in everyday workshop practice, within the real process of making objects.
A conversation recorded for Magazif, dedicated to collectible design, was an important moment in organizing these thoughts. It made me aware of how strongly perceptions of value are changing today. It is encouraging to see that, also in the Polish context, clients increasingly value transparency of process, direct contact with the maker, and quality of execution over production scale or brand recognition.
Objects in an international context
My work circulates within the international field of collectible design. I am represented by STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN, a New York gallery that collaborates with respected designers, architects, and collectors from around the world. Through this collaboration, objects made in my workshop find their place in distinctive interiors and private collections.
One such project was realized in Washington, where a piece made in my workshop became an integral part of a carefully composed contemporary interior. When designing this space, Nicholas Potts consciously combined historical and contemporary elements, inviting makers whose work could meet the level of craftsmanship expected in a museum-like setting. In this context, the presence of my piece in the project was a particular distinction. It shows how locally made craft can function within a global context while retaining its identity and consistency of execution.
The workshop as a place of making and learning
The year 2025 was also an intensive period of educational work. At Bensari Workshop, I conducted nearly 40 woodworking courses, working with participants at different levels of experience. Teaching is a natural extension of my design practice. It reinforces precision, clarifies process, and allows me to share knowledge rooted in real workshop experience.
Combining design, craft, and education is not a compromise for me. It is a coherent model of work that enables me to develop my own design language while remaining close to the material, the tools, and the actual process of making objects.
Rhythm of work
Six collectible objects, one bespoke commission, and an intensive educational program together form a complete picture of my work in 2025. It is a rhythm that allows for concentration, quality, and full responsibility at every stage of the process. Collectible design, understood in this way, is based on attentive making. It requires time, experience, and conscious decisions. This is where I see the meaning of contemporary craft and its place in the international design landscape.
