Zanat

Zanat was founded in 2015 and has grown rapidly over the past few years. Although recently established, the company proudly perpetuates a strong family story and regional tradition. The story dates back over a century to Zanat’s two founders, Orhan’s and Adem Niksic’s grandfather Gano. One day, Gano came across an ancient hand-carving technique from an area close to the family's home town, Konjic, on the outskirts of Sarajevo. He worked and perfected the technique beyond recognition and teamed up with recognised furniture producers in Sarajevo. Gano passed on his skills to his sons, who in turn imparted it to theirs. The Konjic wood-carving technique, preserved and perfected by the family, was officially inscribed onto the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2017.

Zanat is the Bosnian word for craft. The word defines the essence of the workshop, the artistry and skills on which it draws to create truly innovative works, which are instilled in its mission for sustainability. The furniture is hand carved using age-old techniques. The designs are sketched directly onto the wood surface and then manually chiselled to bring the design to life.

During their summer holidays in Croatia in 2013, Orhan and his friend Mark Bartolini were discussing topics related to development in Bosnia and the future of design and production. These discussions led to thoughts on economic development, the re-emergence of Bosnia on the marketplace and the preservation of its rich cultural legacy through its production industry. This gave birth to the idea of Zanat, and with the support of their network of friends, which included Scandinavian designers Monica Förster, Harri Koskinen and renowned Swedish architect Gert Wingårdh, Zanat came into being. The company helps create opportunity in a country with one of the highest unemployment rates in Europe, preserving a craft that had almost disappeared.

Pattern of Crafts Exhibition