Back to the Flax
A Break in the Field
We first encountered Back to the Flax through our mutual presentations at Kazerne Eindhoven and have been following their journey ever since. This collective of eleven students from Design Academy Eindhoven—part of Kazerne Young—brings together diverse perspectives on working with flax, revealing the richness and relevance of this ancient material.
Our connection deepened during Dutch Design Week 2025, where we met again at the Eindhoven Innovation Café – Crop Edition at Kazerne. A moment of exchange that highlighted the care, curiosity and dedication within this group.
Working on a 1,000 m² field in Gijzenrooi, they cultivated, harvested and processed flax entirely by hand—bridging traditional knowledge with experimental approaches and placing process at the heart of their practice.
Kazerne Young offers emerging talents from Design Academy Eindhoven, TU/e, Fontys, and SintLucasthe opportunity to develop exhibitions, presentations and public programs from their own perspective—connecting them early on to the professional field and a wider audience.
Within ROOTS – Sleeping Beauty, a Symbiotic Symphony, Back to the Flax presents A Break in the Field—a powerful and hopeful gesture. A living handprint, rooted in togetherness, craftsmanship, and ecological awareness, where learning, making and growing come together.​
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Photo credits: Ruud Balk
