BrutCake was founded and proudly introduced to the world in 2011.

By focusing on products created entirely by hand, we hope more people will be moved by and treasure the essence of raw materials.

We pursue the beauty of raw materials and hope you can appreciate the core act of creation, as well as the artist’s spirit, in each product from Brut Cake.

Brut refers to the Art Brut movement originating in France, and is an apt description of the raw, original and essential elements of Brut Cake products. Cake evokes images of the simple pleasures and happiness in life.

We take the concept of Art Brut from a position of pure artistic ambition to one of functional creation. However, Brut Cake doesn’t see itself as an industrial design shop; instead, we devote ourselves to handcrafted, useful and functional objects of art.

Such is our belief in the longevity and beauty of raw materials, we also see treasure where others see only waste. Combining elements from discarded furniture and the like, we re-imagine them into new functional pieces, bringing a new life and aesthetic to these recycled gems.

Nicole Teng

4 years ago, Nicole Teng moved to Shanghai from Taiwan, and shortly there after, left her career in Advertising to become a gallery curator at Plum Gallery. While hosting scores of exhibitions, she also worked on her own creations.

She collected old recycled materials and used her unique vision to re-imagine them, bringing a new look and a new life to old subjects. A broken chair or an abandoned closet could be adapted, altered or transformed into something completely new. From this she learned that the life cycle of good materials and craftsmanship is longer than we expect, something she now hopes to share with more people.

Most of her BrutCake objects are hand-made. Hand-woven old fabrics are used to make handbags, furniture is rebuilt in collaboration with craftsmen, and pottery is shaped by the artist on the wheel. She believes only HAND-MADE products can deliver the genuine heart of the “Maker”.
In 2011, Nicole Teng officially established her first brand “BrutCake”, and now presents her works in Taiwan, Shanghai and Germany. It’s just a starting point, as she hopes BrutCake can be touched by people all around the world.