Ash Rise

Ash Rise is a collaborative design project, exhibition and film from the Scottish Furniture Makers Association (SFMA) that turns environmental risk into community-building and creative carpentry.

Created in response to the ecological crisis of ash dieback (a disease threatening 80% of the UK’s native ash trees) Ash Rise gives new life to diseased and felled ash through a collection of bespoke furniture and objects, celebrating the material’s beauty, history and urgency.

We were commissioned by SFMA to create a brand identity and supporting design materials for the project. Using multiple material forms, we explored mark making, prints, rubbings and burning techniques to provide an honest and tangible representation of the natural beauty found within the Ash Tree. Each one unique, each one telling the story of the tree’s history, lifespan and function.

Grabbing attention and instant storytelling were crucial to success, so colour played a key role in the campaign identity. We used neon greens to represent the often stunning and vibrant canopies commonly seen when looking up at ash trees, alongside rich blacks to represent the harsh contrast of the species’ perilous existence.

Under this identity, Ash Rise brings together makers, designers, foresters, communities, and audiences into a shared reflection on what could be next for a landscape without the ash tree, creating a legacy that’s rooted in place, shaped by hand, and powered by its purpose.

Through creative reuse of ash and modern storytelling methods, the project raises awareness of the ash dieback’s impact while advocating compellingly for sustainability, education and the preservation of native hardwoods.

It demonstrates how craft can drive public engagement with climate and biodiversity issues, creating a direct emotional and educational connection between people and the natural world, and we are proud to have played our part in it.

Film & Photography: Dendro Film (Directed by James Galbraith) 

Exhibition Photography: Gabriela Silveira