DRAW ME A SHEEP is a Belgium-based design collective, founded by two Royal College of Arts graduates in 2005.

Previously trained as furniture and industrial designers, BoYoung Jung and Emmanuel Wolfs installed their workshop in Belgium, and started their design practice which approaches design as medium rather than discipline. In recent years, DrawMeaSheep has produced series of objects that are often inspired by current debates in our society and culture. Sometimes thought-provoking and ironic, these objects remain functional as everyday items; however, they are also the platforms to share values and to challenge viewpoints that are both personal and universal.

Nature V2.01 project chair(2006) Inspired from world’s debates on GMO products and eco-crisis on earth, ‘Nature v2.01’ explores today’s struggling human relationship with nature and our desire for authenticity. More difficult it gets to find something authentic, more demands on ‘nature’ to be ‘natural’ – yet to the extent that it is allowed by people. Nature, considered to be original to its core, is increasingly becoming an interface controlled by man. The simple joy of breathing clean air, sitting on a tree trunk and listening to the birds has become luxury for some. And it seems that the search for true, unspoiled nature has never been so intense in the history of mankind. Our product culture, on the other hand, makes it desirable to involve nature in the manufacturing process to convey authentic value in mass production. On the assumption that our industry puts no limit to the transformation and reproduction of subjects with the pretense of progress, it is likely that some day we might encounter quare trees growing in rows. Thus, the design raises a series of questions about the attitude towards a possible future: Are we ready to change anything as long as manufacturing method is profitably innovative? If we bio-manufacture our furniture in order to get the most ‘authentic’ furniture with minimal modification, can we still call it nature?

Square Tree Trunk series are a part of NATURE V2.01 project. ‘Round’ is perfect in nature, but ‘square’ is perfect for industrial standard. To illustrate, square tree would enable wood industry to lose less material, to cut easier with machines and to store more efficiently. One sawmiller said, “I wish trees were growing square. Things people make with woods are square anyway, and we need to lose a lot by cutting out the rounded part.” Likewise, same ‘tree’ can be seen as a symbol of nature, or inefficient material for ’wood’ industry.
Would we actually get surprised by looking at square trees someday??

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