Grapees

Grapes are the primary crop of Dacun in Changhua, Taiwan. During the harvesting season each year, grape farmers cut massive amounts of grape vines, which are treated like agricultural waste and incinerated. This causes air pollution and is unfriendly to the environment. Grapees found ways to turn these agricultural waste into usable handcrafted products. Grapevines are studied for their characteristics, and crafting techniques are developed that would give the grapevine branches new value. The bendable yet tough physical characteristics of grape vines allow them to be weaved into products such as chairs, patterned seat for stools, an orb lamp fixture or a hanging lamp fixture shaped like a flower. Grape vines aren’t smooth, and each vine is naturally unique in terms of branches and patterns, making every product weaved from grapevines one of a kind. The grapevines can also be used to create traditional Chinese round-backed armchairs by twisting and intertwining vine branches to weave back supports for the chairs, thus showcasing the diverse design capabilities of grape vines.