Project Kaa-wa

The Alchemy of the Coffee Bean In the heart of Prague, Anna Steinerová transforms the humble coffee bean from a fleeting morning ritual into an enduring piece of wearable art. Her initiative, known as Project Kaa-wa, bridges the gap between the sensory world of the barista and the meticulous craft of the jeweler. This isn't just about mimicry. It is about capturing the essential geometry of the bean—the cleft, the curve, and the promise of energy—and immortalizing it through various mediums. From the Cafe to the Studio Inspiration often strikes in the most familiar places. After a five-year hiatus from design, Anna Steinerová returned to her roots as a student working in a café. There, the raw aesthetic of the green, unroasted bean sparked a creative revival. She recognized the bean not just as an agricultural product, but as a potent symbol of global culture. This realization shifted her focus toward an exhaustive exploration of form, where the organic shape of coffee serves as the primary blueprint for high-end design. Materiality and Form Project Kaa-wa excels through its refusal to be confined to a single material. Anna Steinerová experiments with a vast palette, casting the coffee bean shape in porcelain, glass, wood, and precious metals. Each material tells a different story: stone offers a grounded, earthy weight, while glass provides a delicate, translucent elegance. This multi-disciplinary approach ensures that the jewelry appeals to more than just the visual sense—it invites tactile interaction, much like the beans themselves. Narrative Packaging as Art The experience of Project Kaa-wa extends far beyond the jewelry itself. Every piece comes nestled within a custom-designed book, turning a simple purchase into a literary and visual journey. These books feature high-end papers and original illustrations by collaborating artists. They tell the folkloric history of coffee, such as the tale of Kaldi and his dancing goats, ensuring that the wearer carries both a physical object and a piece of cultural history. This holistic approach elevates the jewelry into a total work of art, celebrating the deep heritage of the coffee world.