Interview about Different Maps Wall Art, winner of the A' Fine Arts and Art Installation Design Award 2021
The design is a 3D map, created with the use of laser-cut wood for the streets and the infrastructure, and epoxy resin for the water reservoirs. The map can show any place on Earth, to remind you of a special time or place in your life. It is made with the use of modern technology, and is meant to combine the ancient art of carpentry with the new possibilities of laser accuracy.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsOur journey began with a love for traditional craftsmanship and a fascination for natural textures. Wood offered warmth and authenticity, while epoxy resin allowed us to highlight delicate details like rivers, lakes, and coastlines in a striking way. By experimenting with both, we discovered a dialogue between classic material and modern technique, creating maps that feel timeless yet innovative. This fusion was not accidental—it was the result of many trials, failures, and refinements, until we reached a balance where each material enhanced the other.
Focusing on intimate, lesser-known places has been central to the emotional power of our artwork. While global capitals are celebrated everywhere, people often hold the deepest memories in smaller towns, villages, or even a single street. By honoring these locations, we allow individuals to see their personal stories reflected in art. Customers tell us that our maps spark conversations about childhood, family, and milestones that shaped them. This connection transforms our wall art from decoration into a keepsake—something that preserves memory and meaning in a very personal way.
The two-year development period was filled with technical challenges that taught us patience and persistence. One of the biggest obstacles was achieving perfect harmony between wood and resin, as both materials react differently to temperature, humidity, and time. Wood naturally expands and contracts, while resin requires precise curing to avoid bubbles, cracks, or uneven surfaces. Finding a balance between them demanded countless experiments, adjustments in cutting depth, and careful layering of resin to highlight waterways without warping the wood base. Overcoming these difficulties not only refined our craftsmanship but also shaped the final aesthetic—clean lines, smooth textures, and a sense of natural flow that make the maps both durable and visually striking.
My background as a data engineer gave me a natural comfort with complex systems, precision, and transformation of abstract information into something useful and beautiful. When working with digital map data, I approach it not only as an artist but also as a problem-solver: cleaning, structuring, and refining geographic data much like preparing datasets for analytics. This mindset ensures accuracy in every coastline, street, or contour we reproduce. Technology helps us translate digital coordinates into precise laser cuts, while my artistic vision ensures the result feels alive and personal. In this way, my technical experience allows me to bridge the gap between raw map data and tactile, handcrafted wooden art that resonates emotionally.
In our maps, the sense of depth comes from a carefully established structure that we apply consistently. We always use the same number of layers, because through long experimentation we discovered this creates the most harmonious balance between the solidity of wooden streets and the fluidity of resin water features. Keeping the layering constant allows every piece to be visually coherent and instantly recognizable as part of the Different Maps style. The challenge lies not in changing the number of layers, but in designing each composition so that the details—streets, rivers, lakes—sit within this framework naturally. This disciplined approach ensures that every map has depth, elegance, and a timeless look, while still capturing the unique character of each location.
Winning the A’ Design Award confirmed for us that innovation can live hand in hand with craftsmanship. Looking forward, we see great potential in embracing new technologies such as advanced 3D modeling, generative design tools, or even augmented reality previews that let people explore their maps digitally before they exist physically. At the same time, we want to keep the artisanal essence—each piece made from natural wood, carefully finished by hand, with resin poured in a way that makes every river and coastline unique. By selectively adopting new methods and materials, we aim to expand creative possibilities while preserving the human touch and authenticity that make Different Maps Wall Art meaningful.
One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is hearing the stories behind the places people choose. Customers rarely ask for world capitals—they request small towns where they grew up, the city where they first met their partner, or even a lake where they spent summers as children. We’ve created maps for wedding anniversaries that mark the exact location of the first kiss, gifts celebrating a family’s new home, and keepsakes honoring places tied to a loved one’s memory. These stories remind us that maps are not just about geography—they are about emotions and milestones. By turning these locations into wooden artworks, we help preserve personal narratives in a way that feels lasting and tangible.
Working with wood and resin taught us that mixed-media design is as much about patience as it is about creativity. The biggest insight is that both materials behave very differently: wood is natural, alive, and sensitive to humidity, while resin is highly technical, requiring precise curing conditions. Bringing them together means planning for their contrasts—allowing space for wood’s expansion, controlling temperature for resin, and designing joins where both can coexist without tension. Another lesson is that imperfections often hold beauty: tiny textures in the wood grain or subtle variations in resin add character rather than flaws. For designers, the key is to respect each material on its own terms, then let them enhance each other instead of forcing them into uniformity.
Balancing laser precision with manual craftsmanship is at the heart of our process. The laser ensures that every coastline, street, and contour is cut with absolute accuracy, faithfully translating digital map data into wood. But technical precision alone would feel cold and mechanical. That’s why every piece is also shaped by hand—sanding, finishing, and pouring resin in a way that introduces individuality and warmth. The combination allows us to maintain the integrity of cartographic detail while ensuring no two artworks are ever identical. This dual approach gives our maps their character: a perfect balance where technology provides structure and craftsmanship provides soul.
Working together as a married couple has been one of the most defining elements of Different Maps Wall Art. We bring very different strengths to the table—one of us with a strong technical and data-focused mindset, the other with an artistic eye for composition, texture, and storytelling. At times, this contrast created lively debates, but it also pushed us to refine every detail until both perspectives felt satisfied. Over time, our collaboration evolved into a rhythm where technical accuracy and creative expression balance naturally. Beyond the design itself, working as partners deepened the emotional meaning of the project—we are not just making maps, we are weaving together both our skills and our shared life into something tangible that others can connect with.
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