Desert Grip, a collection designed for a heightened reality characterized by extreme mountainous desert terrain, where populations have resorted to vertical arrangement of structures.
This world was designed as follows; visual elements are composed of
earthy tones of rich browns and warm terracottas, evoking the rugged, rocky terrain that dominates the landscape.
Textures are prominent through ancient walls weathered by time, reflecting the character of the landscape. Chiseled patterns reveal the meticulous craftsmanship of stone carvers, showcasing intricate designs. Leather and metal textures represent the tools of the trade, worn aprons, sturdy gloves, and well-used chisels. Mountains dominate the horizon, providing a dramatic backdrop to stone carved cities
Inspirations behind this world include Petra (Jordan), and Cappadocia Caves (Turkey), as well as Ethiopia's Mountain Churches.
This world is characterized by 2 key aspects; first of all stone carving, where structures including houses, retail spaces, offices, etc are constructed through the engravement of the space directly within the cliff’s faces.
Secondly, the vertical architecture of this world has led to its inhabitants to climb as means of everyday casual transport.
Stone Carvers are skilled artisans in this world who tranform the raw mountain facades into works of architecture; they face multitudes of difficulty on their way to work (stone carving), which include but are not limited to exhaustion from extenstive toe hook climbimg movements, and difficulty handling tools.
Adaptations of different mountain animals with natural adaptations that aid them in climbing altitudes were studied in-depth. First of which being the mountain goat; which has cloven hooves with two toes that spread wide to improve balance. Cloven hooves also allow them to grip rocky terrain and prevent slipping.
Sloths were also studied, as they have long hook-like fingers and toes that allow them to hang suspended from stone or branches. Their claws are formed by elongated and curved distal phalange bones protruding from their limbs that allow them to dig into fruit.
These insiprations led up to the design of the Desert Grip collection, composed of carving gloves and climbing shoes, specifically suited to Stone Carvers in this fictional world.
The images in this project were all designed by Leen in an attempt to visualize this world and design solutions catered to those living in it.*
*Setting the scene is composed of existent images collaged, not of Leen's work.
