The Knot - A Project of Social Design

This knot - a bowline well known to all sailors - symbolically binds together cultures of distant countries. This knot is the result of the work of an Italian artist and a group of very young Cambodian street boys. Renzo Bighetti dedicated an entire month to teach them to manufacture the silver objects, starting from the symbol of the knot that, in all cultures, represents union and friendship. The Design can enhance the capability and craftsmanship of the most needy and marginalized people left out from the production market and help them produce objects that are appealing to a global market, thus creating better professional opportunities than those offered by the traditional ethnic knick knacks.

Cambodia is a country of young people; those under 16 years of age represent 60 per cent of the entire population and are often the only source of income for the whole family. As of today, the country is still recovering and heeling from the wounds suffered during the time of the Khmer Rouge, including an economy that does not provide work opportunities to the younger population. Girls are lured into the city with offers of employment in factories and in private homes as maids, but too often they end up in the sex industry. From this gloomy picture, it is clear that there is a need to find strategies to help and stimulate these young people by giving them an opportunity that will be inspiring through training and possible future employment. The commitment and keen interest that these young people have shown for this project are the best reward we could have receive for our work.

This project aims to go beyond the phase of mere assistance, that very often creates a dependency from humanitarian aid and to teach these young people a working skill that can not only ensure an economic independence, but also help them develop a positive self identity and make them proud of producing beautiful objects. By buying any article of The Knot series, you are helping to create and secure a future job for these young people.

Renzo Bighetti, an Italian sculptor, conducted one-month training in Phnom Penh. The artist, in addition to his time and experience, has wanted to give a gift to the young boys; a drawing that combines a very simple technique to manufacture objects with the qualities of a piece of art work: a knot, a bowline. Cambodia is a country of waters. In Angkor Wat, on many Khmer sculptures of a thousand years ago, one can see similar knots to those tied by sailors around the world. The knots are the same that Renzo learned to create in Levanto where he works in his workshop and finds his inspiration from the sea. The course has addressed the needed knowledge to craft a series of silver objects such as bracelets, rings, earrings, letter openers, buckles, bookmarks and key holders using the knot that represents union and friendship. The young boys are working with a symbol that also belongs to the Khmer culture. The idea behind is to stimulate, along with the awareness of their cultural inheritance, also their pride and self-esteem. As the knots started to come out of their hands, the young people's eyes started to sparkle with pride and, from their hands, Art has become Design.