Renewable Resources Design Workshop – International Masterclass in Liepāja with Jakob Niemann

As part of the Capacity Building program supported by “Liepāja 2027,” an international design masterclass titled “Renewable Resources in Material-Based Design Approach” took place in May this year at the Liepāja Music, Art and Design Secondary School.

The masterclass was led by Austrian designer and artist Jakob Niemann – a creative practitioner known for his explorations of raw aesthetics and meaningful use of materials.

On the first day of the masterclass, participants visited the seaside in Karosta to search for local natural materials that could serve as a foundation for new design solutions. Each found object – roots, fibers, tree branches, grass, twigs, bird feathers, tree bark, bone, stone – became an impulse for further exploration and transformation. On the second day, work continued in the school’s workshops, where prototypes of functional objects were created using both traditional hand tools and digital technologies.

The working process emphasized thinking in materials – from research and form experiments to connection solutions and exploring the significance of design.

Under Jakob Niemann’s guidance, the young designers experienced the design process as a living, thoughtful creative activity where the most important aspect was not the final result, but the experience itself.

The capacity building masterclass was held within the program organized by “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027.” The event was co-financed by the “Liepāja 2027” Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.