Matias Mollenbach pairs Orb soaps and resin trays in the OBA series
OBA Soap by Danish designer Matias Mollenbach positions everyday hygiene within the realm of object design, presenting a collection that emphasizes material presence, scent composition, and geometric clarity.
Developed under his independent practice, where products are designed and produced in collaboration with artisanal craftsmen, the series reflects an approach focused on quality, autonomy, and a lasting visual language.
The sculptural soaps are handcrafted and assembled through small-scale production, aligning with the designer’s commitment to carefully executed fabrication and attention to sensory detail.
Each OBA piece is composed of a translucent glycerin-based soap sphere resting on a colour-matched resin cube base finished with a satin surface. This arrangement introduces a dialogue between matte and luminous textures, solid and transparent material states, and circular and cubic geometry.
Through this configuration, the soaps maintain practical usability while extending into collectible territory, encouraging tactile appreciation and visual contemplation within domestic routines. The structural simplicity also enhances durability and clarity of form, contributing to the product’s longevity beyond seasonal consumption patterns.
The OBA collection launches with five scent variations, each structured around emotional tone, colour association, and olfactory layering. Terralis centers on cedarwood, vetiver, sage, bergamot, and amber, producing a woody and herbal composition designed to evoke warmth and meditative calm.
Its amber-toned sphere paired with a natural base communicates balance and depth through restrained chromatic coordination. This alignment between aroma and appearance demonstrates the project’s integrated sensory methodology.
Rosevale combines lavender, rose, orris, and white musk to form a floral and powdery profile associated with serenity and comfort. Presented as a lavender-tinted sphere positioned on a milky pink cube, it articulates harmony between softness and structural clarity.
Papaya introduces a contrasting direction with notes of papaya, sweet orange, vanilla, and amber. The resulting composition references vitality and warmth, supported visually by an orange sphere resting on a coral base that signals energy and simplicity through saturated colour relationships.
Aloe Vera adopts a fresher register built on green notes, cucumber, citrus, and soft woods. Its transparent green sphere and pale base correspond with ideas of renewal and purity, while maintaining consistency within the collection’s formal vocabulary.
Citralis completes the series with lemon, mint, bergamot, and cedarwood, delivering a clean and invigorating character. The golden-yellow sphere on a light base underscores brightness and clarity, reinforcing the dialogue between scent narrative and visual articulation.
Born in Copenhagen, Matias Mollenbach studied product design at Central Saint Martins in London before completing a master’s degree in Furniture and Object at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. His background informs a practice attentive to structural proportion, material sensitivity, and independent authorship.
OBA Soap reflects these priorities by demonstrating how handcrafted production, design education, and collaborative making can translate into objects that operate between functionality and sculptural presence within contemporary domestic environments.
All images courtesy of Matias Mollenbach, shared with permission
https://matiasmoellenbach.com/
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