Mura is a cast concrete organiser, with an interesting and unique form.
Designed By: Lucy Callahan
Materials: Concrete
the story of mura
For months, we joked about stepping out of our comfort zone and experimenting with a new material - cement or concrete. It became a familiar refrain in the studio: whenever we hit a wall in product development, someone would say, “What about concrete?”
Eventually, we stopped laughing and started exploring. After 3D printing several variations, we landed on a final form: circular at the top, dissected by a clean, deliberate cut that opens into a mouth-like cavity. This leads into a smooth, vertical tube that widens again into a circular base. The geometry feels intentional, yet organic—quietly complex.
That’s when the real work began. We learned everything from scratch—making moulds, testing silicones, adjusting mix ratios. We debated cement versus concrete. We explored surface finishing techniques, discovering that vibrating the mix helped achieve a cleaner, more refined texture. We refined the moulds, tested for strength, and developed a small-batch process that balances consistency with character.
Mura is a Japanese word that means irregularity, imbalance, unevenness, and variation. It reflects the philosophy of wabi-sabi—the appreciation of imperfection, impermanence, and the raw, unrefined state of things.
Each piece is slightly different—shaped by hand, air, time, and touch. You’ll see it in the texture of the concrete. In the subtle shifts. In the honesty of the material.
A quiet study in patience, process, and form.
