Dahoam English
In every language and almost all dialects, some words are difficult to translate and/or have different meanings depending on the context. Dahoam is one such example. Depending on the context, it can mean the place where you live or the place where you feel “at home”.
I am lucky that those two places are “the same” for me. Our farm, the Gattermannlehen (lit. gate-mans-fief), has been home to the family for many generations. I have been out and about in our fields and forests since I was a child, which has given me deep roots in the land. My wife Nadine is the exact opposite of me. Born in Lower Austria, raised in Vienna, then on to Salzburg, and finally Bischofswiesen, she is at home wherever her heart beats. Sometimes I envy her for that, and occasionally it almost scares me a little how much my heart is attached to this place. Most of the time, though, I'm happy to have such a strong bond. When I run my hands over the old beams of the farm or walk along the brick walls at the edges of the fields, I feel connected to my ancestors and can draw strength and motivation from them.
This makes it all the more astonishing that “Dahoam” is only the third collection, but sometimes you just have to wander into the distance first... Dahoam is the logical consequence of my first two collections, Yûgen and New Heritage. The dyeing with natural indigo and the contrast to the wood on the one hand, as well as the folklorist-inspired carvings on the other, create a harmonious whole. “White-blue” is the colour of my homeland, Bavaria. In “my” Bavaria, tradition and modernity can go hand in hand. There, people are happy about impulses from “outside”, effortlessly combining them with our traditions, creating a positive identity that doesn’t make a difference between “us” and “them”.
The first iteration consists of small and medium-sized salad bowls. Their surface is only processed with sharp turning tools and brushed with a very fine brass brush. They are then traditionally dyed with indigo and then carved. All work is treated several times with a mixture of washed linseed oil and natural wax. Due to the way it is manufactured and treated, the surface is particularly durable, easy to care for, and develops a wonderful patina over time. When using moist or liquid foods, please coat the inside generously with salad oil for the first 10 to 20 times. After use, it is best to rinse with lukewarm water and dry well with a soft cotton towel. Dishwasher and soaking in the sink are taboo. Please reach out if you have any questions.
