Evolution Product & Wren: Take A Story With You

Wren has collaborated with Evolution Product to create a range of products with Wren materials and Evolution’s beautiful designs.

Evolution Product are a South African company that source nostalgic narratives from local historical archives and create product ranges for the home. The collaboration with Wren has resulted in some of Evolution’s most beautiful lithographs and photograms now available in a range of everyday practical products from notebook organisers to slim laptop bags.

Remaining true to what is important to both companies: soul, beauty and practicality – the collaborated range is both a visual and tactile experience with a rich colour palette, delicate print detail and strong tie to nature both in the subject matter and in the material.

Lithographic and photogram images from two of Evolution’s Ranges were selected for the collaboration: Blagrave’s Ferns and Commemorated Lithographs.

Blagrave’s Ferns:

Named appropriately after Thomas C. Blagrave, a retired lieutenant colonel from England that created the first comprehensive study of ferns in South Africa in 1860. He recorded his finding in the unique format of photograms. Evolution fell in love with the textures of the photographic paper and the iridescent effect of the film with the strong contrast of the fern patterns.

Fern 8 : Polysticum Range

Commemorated Lithographs:

Originating from evocative lithograph stamps found in the archives of SANBI, donated in the late 1950’s. The metal plated wooden blocks discovered were used in the early 1930’s by the iconic farming magazine, Landbou Weekblad from South Africa that is still in circulation today. After the discovery of these valued pieces of history, photographs were taken by the Evolution team and enhanced to reveal moss and winter leaf colours. The visuals are grainy and evocative. The effect is mysterious and magical.