Rare Skills

Peter Weisz and Nadja Zerunian tap some of Europe’s marginalised artisans to give traditional craft a contemporary edge

- Giovanna Dunmall

The work of Vienna-based designers Nadja Zerunian and Peter Weisz is akin to alchemy. Using materials such as copper, marble and glass, the pair create unusual, sophisticated pieces, often combining them with quirky vintage objects found at flea markets and antique shops around the world.

The resulting limited-edition collections are as unexpected as they are seductive. Each piece is covetable in its own right, but it’s the ingenious way they are put together that really draws the eye. ‘We believe we can push the conversation about craft a lot further by realising small collections that tell stories, and by drawing people into our world of little wonders,’ explains Zerunian. ‘By combining works made by artisans with new and vintage design, you elevate the craft items and show how they can hold their own among a range of exquisite objects.’ It’s all about ‘taking the sentimentality out of craft’, adds Weisz, ‘and making it relevant for today.’

Zerunian and Weisz have different but complementary backgrounds. Zerunian studied painting, and later product design with Ron Arad and Carl Auböck, and has been a designer at Calvin Klein and creative director for Georg Jensen and Swatch, while Weisz is a master tailor who had his own atelier and eponymous label for 25 years, and has also worked as a fashion director for magazines and brands such as Swarovski. They both ‘collect, hoard and hunt’ objects, which often become the starting points for a new collection.