Manual Caff is a collaboration by Hugh McEwen and Omar Ghazal with a group of young creatives. We are bringing together diverse artistic practices including drawing, photography, design, furniture making and performance.  Our aim is to explore the possibilities of a fictional space, titled Manual Caff: a greasy spoon type caff rooted in traditional London with a blend of kitsch and fantasy.

   Manual Caff is an evolving and changing concept, which between June and October will move from a series of drawings and objects to a full-blown reality, culminating in an event on the 20th October. 

    In order to achieve this merging of fiction and reality, we have introduced handmade objects, such as ashtray and pillows, which have been depicted in the drawings. We are also collaborating with Marcus Andrén on a set of staged, site-specific photographs of different stages of the project. On Saturday 30th June, designers and artists spent the day dreaming and drawing objects of Manual Caff bar allowing the space to function in its own special way, like tea urns, grills and egg display stands.

    Alongside documenting and cataloguing the project as it progresses, we are constantly engaged in events and discussions with the hope of bringing something different to contemporary design practice. The project remains a collaborative work in progress until its final realisation.