Absurdnost

Embrace the Absurdity of Life

Absurdnost is an experimental packaging project that is the result of the materialisation of an abstract idea into a solid object. It began with a visual interpretation of the poem “Before the Mirror” by Russian literary critic Vladislav Khodasevich, who reflects on ageing, disappointment, loss, and the disorientation of identity. As a response, I reached out to one of my favourite thinkers, Albert Camus, and his thoughts on the absurdity of life in “The Myth of Sisyphus.”

Camus concluded that despite the absence of inherent meaning in life, one must show defiance and build one's own meaning. The bottle serves as a visual translation of those ideas and is supported by a printed booklet, a personal essay, and a process book documenting the full experimental journey.

Foundation

It all started with a poem written in a foreign language — one I couldn’t read. The task was to interpret the visual qualities of the letterforms without knowing their meaning, and create 2D compositions based purely on how the shapes felt. Making use of acrylics, ink, digital tools and other materials, I proceeded to explore these interpretations.

Some of these compositions were later scanned and digitally modified, blending analogue textures with digital tools. This mix allowed for more layered, expressive results. Influenced by Kintsugi — the Japanese art of repairing broken objects with gold — I focused on the idea that flaws and imperfections tell a story. Each visual became a small part of a larger narrative.

Translations

Around this time, I also began experimenting with 3D translations of the visual compositions using acrylics, gold leaf on blocks of wood. These forms, shaped by erosion and layering, added weight and tactility to the themes I had been exploring.

Eventually, we were finally given the translation of the poem — "Before the Mirror" by Vladislav Khodasevich. Reading it for the first time brought new meaning to what I had been working on. The poem touches on aging, regret, and a sense of disconnection from one’s past self.

The poem contrasts with the ideas of one of my favourite thinkers — Albert Camus. His essay The Myth of Sisyphus offers a response to the feeling of emptiness: that instead of giving in to despair, we can choose to keep going, create, and act. In doing so, we create meaning for ourselves.

The idea of continuing on despite not having all the answers became a key part of what this project is about.

The object

The conceptual bottle — named Absurdnost (Russian for "absurdness") — embodies the project’s core themes. Its surface carries the weight of texture and imperfection. It’s not just a container, but a metaphor for resilience.

ABSURDNOST BOOKLET

TYPE TRANSLATIONS PROCESS BOOK

Reflection

Absurdnost isn’t part of my day-to-day design work, but it’s one of the projects I’m most proud of. It taught me that exploration, intuition, and emotion have a place in how we think about design — not just what we make, but why we make it.