Drawing from nature as inspiration, Jan Ernst creates elegant and alluring ceramic designs that delicately balance form and function. For him, ceramics is linked to exploration, experimentation and finding equilibrium in composition, structure and materiality. With an educational background in architecture, Ernst’s main medium is clay, through which he brings to life gracefully gorgeous organic designs. Although his formal journey into ceramics began later in life, the little mud houses and clay villages made in his childhood ignited a passion he would later pursue. Tactility, peculiarity, decay and delight are all significant principles that hold the work of the Cape Town-based artist. He doesn’t shy away from contradiction  —durability and nuance are handled with great finesse. 

Below is a conversation I had with Ernst about his practice, his philosophy towards beauty and what he has planned for the future. 

Nkgopoleng Moloi: You describe your work as functional art, can you tell us what you mean by this? 

Jan Ernst: The first thing that comes to mind is an architectural phrase by Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, ‘commodity, firmness, and delight’. He believed if a design embraced and balanced all three aspects, the creator would have been successful in his task. Commodity refers to the functionality of the design – in the case of the candelabra, the aim is to successfully hold candles. Firmness refers to construction/making of an object that is steady. Finally, delight refers to the fulfilment of the aesthetic function. 

N.M: When I look at your work, there is a subtlety and delicacy – an almost minimal approach but not quite. How would you describe your visual language? 

J.E: You are right. There is an interplay between the delicate and robust. Minimal yet slightly adorned with texture. Nature is full of these nuances. The minimal aesthetic is driven by the functionality of the design item. Through my work, I aim to create a balance between what is pure and true to clay as a material and something that reflects the manicured environments we live in.  

N.M: Can you tell us about your journey into ceramics? How and when it began? 

J.E: If we go way back to when I was a little boy growing up on a farm, one could say that was the time it all started. I remember building mud houses and little villages made of dirt and clay found in the garden. I was first introduced to formal training in ceramics in high school during my art classes. Before I completed my master’s in architecture, I attended the art school at Nelson Mandela University and was further exposed to it in my sculpture and 3D studies. It was through my architecture studio that I began working with Vorster and Braye Ceramics. I was almost instantly hooked to the medium but wanted to explore it in a new way. 

N.M: Your work is hardly ever smooth. It is scarified with incisions and marks on its skin. Can you tell us about the process of mark-making in your work? And why this approach?  

J.E: I am personally drawn to textural items – I love to touch objects because of the interaction with it.  While ‘smooth’ is technically also a texture, the mark-making comes from my interpretation of the textures found in nature and leaving traces of engagement with the piece. I use texture, not as an applied decorative element, but rather to enhance the compositional lines of the pieces. The thin lines on the coral-like candelabra emphasize flow and curves and give movement to the piece.

The mud-like texture on the anthill anchors the piece to its environment and represents the earth/dirt created by ants when they form anthills. Creating these textures takes a lot of time. I inscribe with a thin tool to create the lines or smash a blunt object into very wet clay to create the earthlike texture. I suppose there is something about removing or taking away from the purity of the smooth clay.

N.M: You describe the work as being influenced by natural structures —corals, fungi and rock formations —what is it about these structures that fascinates you? 

J.E: I find organic forms fascinating. It never tries to be something other than what it just is. Very truthful. It reflects growth, decay, and change, so there is a story of time passing behind it. Like the rock formations in the Cederberg that are carved away by the winds to create monolithic sculptures.  From a ‘making’ point of view, clay also prefers to be shaped into organic forms rather than straight lines – so the medium accommodates the inspiration and physical form very well. It is incredibly challenging to create something like a webbed structure floating in the air, but that’s the beauty of it. Pushing the medium to its limits and succeeding. 

N.M: I’m interested to know if you have a philosophy towards beauty. In your work, how much do you think about beauty, how do you think about what beauty is and how do you bring it to life? 

J.E: I think of beauty all the time while I am creating. I suppose it is influenced a lot by my architectural background. I find beauty in composition, structure, materiality, and functionality. These elements working together in harmony create a result that is aesthetically pleasing and serves a purpose. That might be a very academic approach, but I also find beauty in the absurd, in the awkward and technically wrong – it is like a good joke with a strong punch line. The quirk and the cleverness. 

N.M: Can you tell us about your process of creating the works, from inception until completion? A piece such as the 6 Arms, 3 legs Ceramic candelabra or the Ant hill candelabra in Terra Cotta, for instance?

J.E: The seed of the idea comes from exploring nature and borrowing ideas from the environment. I love to walk around in the veld or spend time on the rocks by the ocean. Nature never stops to provide inspiration. From that point, I begin to stylize and abstract through rough sketches and models. A lot of the models I make are used to just understand the form,  to refine, subtract, and add until it feels good. In my mind’s eye I see the lines of the candles meeting the clay. Triangular composition, and the inclusion of shapes such as circles or ovals and then distorting it into more organic and free-flowing shapes. The last bit is the texture I apply. The choice of texture is a simplified graphic of the real texture found on corals or anthills for instance.

N.M: Do you collaborate much within your practice? If so, can you tell us about your approach to collaboration?

J.E: I think collaborations create some of the best design results. It is valuable to see how someone else thinks about your work and what their approach would be. Within a collaboration, it is important to stay true to your design character but borrow what is relevant from the other party. I am currently collaborating with another studio whose design style is completely different from mine—thin, utilitarian and very stylized. I am gaining an appreciation for detail, precision, and geometry.

N.M: Bernard Leach ( the man thought of as the father of pottery)  used to describe pottery as “a way of connecting the hand to the heart”. I’m curious, as someone with a background in a different field (architecture), what is it that ceramics offers you that perhaps architecture or interior design does not? 

J.E: What fascinates me most about ceramics is seeing how something that I have designed can take shape right in front of my eyes while I am engaging with it. During my studies in architecture, we used to build models of what our buildings would look like [pre-computer-generated imagery]. Architecture is a slow profession and these days we are very removed from the physical. Everything happens on computers with digital representations and virtual tours – it does not leave much room for creating by hand. The idea of connecting hand and heart through pottery is something I can relate with. There is beauty in the process of engagement, in understanding the physical form right in front of you and the time spent perfecting it.

N.M: Can you tell us about your plans for the near future, if any? Are you working on new collections? What is the direction etc? 

J.E: I am currently working on a new collection called “Formations” – it is commissioned by a private client in Stellenbosch and will include a desk, side table, floor lamp, bench, and table lamp. The idea is to challenge the structural qualities of clay as a medium in its purest form. The desk, for instance, will not have a substructure made of steel or timber. The design aesthetic is driven by rock formations inspired by the Cederberg or fungi from the Newlands forest in the Western Cape. It aims to showcase the overlapping organic structures from the micro to the macro-scale.

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Oliver Whyte is a multidisciplinary studio founded by South African designer Ross Robertson in 2019. The studio’s debut collection, Core, encapsulates its innovative focus on material exploration and has garnered international press coverage. The series of functional objects celebrates the inherent beauty of concrete, challenging our perception of it as a purely utilitarian material. 

The Core collection comprises five pieces; three side tables and two coffee tables. Each work features a robust, weighty concrete base that supports a surface of visually lightweight glass, thin powder-coated steel or solid ebonised oak. The tops are held in place using simple steel attachments, or rest delicately on the edges of the base elements. This ensures the viewer’s focus remains on the smooth and distinctively patterned concrete, which resembles on-trend terrazzo.

Robertson’s inspiration for the Core series came from his architectural background (he spent over a decade working at a small architecture practice in Cape Town) and his observations of the processes used on building sites. The concrete forms are made by appropriating the industrial practice of core drilling, which involves using a cylindrical cutting barrel to remove a section from a solid wall. The byproduct from this action, which is usually disposed of afterwards, is a smooth-sided cylinder that exposes the inner structure of the wall. Robertson took one of these cores home from a site he was working on and, after admiring its raw beauty, decided to replicate its aesthetic qualities in a series of sculptural furniture designs.

“Normally you only see the outer surface of concrete,” says Robertson, “but these cores are like a cross-section that shows you what concrete is made from. You can see the reinforcing metal bar, the stone and the honeycombing produced by the chemical reaction that occurs between the cement and water. It’s amazing the amount of depth and detail hidden inside.”

Although the idea for the project came from concrete cores discarded from building sites, this first edition of the Core collection uses a concrete Robertson developed specially to ensure he could control aspects of its character. The basic recipe is the same as concrete typically used in construction, but additives such as marble dust or pigments are used to tweak the colour of the cementitious base. He also experiments with aggregates such as rose quartz to provide different colour options.

Once the concrete mix has hardened, Robertson works with a local core-drilling company to carve out the shapes he needs. The forms are determined by the standardised diameters of the barrels used to drill the material. Part of the collection’s charm results from imperfections in the way the material is mixed and set. It is impossible to determine exactly how the aggregate will be distributed throughout the cement, so the pattern created when the stone chips are sliced through are completely random.

“I loved the idea of creating a shape through the method of reduction, rather than the use of a mould, because it brings out the honest nature of concrete,” Robertson adds. “I want to see imperfections and blemishes, that is where the beauty lies.”

The treatment of the wood, glass and steel table tops is intended to create a strikingly light and refined juxtaposition with the heavy concrete. In the example of the Ledge table, the corners of the oak surface rest lightly on the edges of four independent columns, while the 6 coffee table features a glass top that seems to float above six uniformly spaced cores. The concrete of the Rough side table is chipped away around its upper edges to introduce a textural contrast, while the base of Flat has been sliced along its length to flatten one section of the cylinder. Finally, the Collar side table has a powder-coated steel surface that slides onto a protruding section where the top of the core has been sliced in half.

With Core, Oliver Whyte joins a long tradition of artists – Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol spring immediately to mind – who have experimented with reframing everyday objects and materials as art. Robertson cites contemporary New York City-based artists Misha Kahn and Katie Stout as sources of inspiration for his playful, materials-led approach. In their unconventional use of conventional materials, Oliver Whyte’s pieces also recall the work of designers such as the Campana brothers, Fredrikson Stallard, Paul Cocksedge or Andrea Branzi.

According to Robertson, the Core collection represents a starting point for ongoing experimentation, with new pieces likely to be added over time. He has also begun to develop new work based on similar principles of transforming humble materials into sophisticated sculptural designs. The success of Coresuggests it will be worth keeping an eye on what comes next from this inventive Cape Town studio.

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Below is an interview with Cara Judd about the studio’s projects and practices.

NM: Can you tell us about how and when you started collaborating? 

CJ: We founded our studio in 2016 after having pursued individual professional experiences. During that time we often collaborated on personal projects so it was a natural process to open up our own studio. 

NM: What are some design principles that you hold dear and that are at the core of your designs?

CJ: More than design principles our work is based on a process of confrontation where our different backgrounds and cultures play an important role in sparking up those conversations. A recurring theme in our work is its coherency to the context or territory in which we are developing the project, so we spend time understanding that through research and by collaborating with the locals. 

NM: Obviously “sustainability” has been a hot term for the past couple of decades, I would be interested in how you think through and approach sustainability in your work.

CJ: Sustainability is such a broad term and when it is handled as a macro topic it’s easy to lose perspective of the real problem. Sustainability is a cultural issue, it’s the way we approach this topic and how individuals evaluate and integrate sustainable choices in their work and living. On a macro level, a lot of attention has been given to the sustainability of materials, for example, plastic. Instead of condemning this material on a macro level we should evaluate it in its context. For instance, a durable, long-lasting plastic used for those qualities is a sustainable option but it depends on our cultural ability to evaluate that. Our approach to sustainability in our work is based on these thoughts of how we can contextualize what sustainability means in different areas of our work.

NM: I’m also interested in how in your perspective, the two landscapes/ environments are different in terms of design (i.e. South Africa and Italy) and how (if at all) that influences your work? 

CJ: The difference is a historical one. Italy has a rich heritage and excellence in art and design with a high level of artisanal skill and the design development has been strongly influenced by this. Generally, works are highly refined and academic. South Africa has its own rich heritage of arts and artefacts but with a very different history of strong social conflict. The attention to social issues is almost innate and designers are not limited to predefined structures of what design should be. Having had the opportunity to develop our work in both countries we did perceive some differences, mostly in the way that design is approached or carried out. For us, the influence that our different cultures have on our work is important as it gives us the opportunity to continuously change perspective. 

NM: I’d like to know how materiality of different objects influences what you create, do you think of materiality as the basis for aesthetic experience? 

CJ: Materiality is an outcome of an idea or consideration. In our latest works, mono-materiality has played a strong role but it was more of a result than a choice of materiality. Material, predominant or not, is an ingredient in our work. Working with single materials helps to synthesize an idea and make it more immediate, recognizable or iconic. The outcome of our works are often a synthesis of our (very) different ideas so perhaps the mono-materiality helps us express that synthesis. 

NM: Can you tell us a bit about your recent project “Territorio”? What is it about and what does it seek to achieve? 

CJ: Territorio is a collection we developed for Africa Africa, an exhibition at Palazzo Litta in Milan and represents the start of a very personal and ongoing research of diversity, context and culture. Being a mixed cultured duo and having a South African heritage but being based in Milan, it was important for us not to just create an African-inspired work but to contextualize it in our current surroundings and draw a parallel between these two territories. Visually, the collection is based on a series of strong and expressive formal elements gathered in a research of traditional sub-Saharan sculpture, objects, architecture and costumes. In terms of production, easily available industrial materials are used for its construction. In this way, the rhythm of the objects of the “Territorio” collection is dictated by the rhythm of industrial production with standards of radii, curves and thickness defined by the manufacturers. The industrial putty applied to structure is a lengthy manual process which too becomes an important part of its production and spirit.

NM: Looking at your work, it seems extremely “pruned” – in the sense that it is very clean without much ornamentation, can you speak to this?

CJ: Interestingly, yes it is, even though it was not a deliberate choice but more a consequence and it’s possible that our future works might not have this characteristic. As a young studio, through each new work, we start to shape and define our vision. The works we have developed so far are related to culture, context and material and dealing with such extensive themes we devoted a lot of energy to the concept and meaning of the project. Therefore, the resulting aesthetics needed to function as a visual expression of this in a concise and clear way. 

NM: Can you tell us a bit about how you think through the following concepts (your philosophy so to say) a) form, b) colour, c) rhythm and d) shape?

CJ: All of the above are consequences or ingredients. We do not have any fixed philosophy about each one and it is likely that our works could even contrast one another if analysed under one of those titles. Perhaps we don’t have strong ideas about the above as we are still searching to define our own philosophy. We don’t only identify from a technical or functional point of view but also from an emotional, cultural and personal perspective. 

NM: What is the scope of your work; what objects will you design and what objects will you not design? 

CJ: Ultimately, we aim to create meaningful objects, spaces or narrations which can benefit in terms of use, pleasure or discussion. We’d like our work to be stimulating in terms of interaction and thought with whoever encounters it. In this phase of our career, we are not limited to any specific field. 

NM: As a studio, how do you see the next few years unfolding? In terms of your vision, the work you want to make and why? 

CJ: As a studio, we intend to carry out our personal research exploring our identity and vision by producing small series of experimental works. Together with companies, we’d like to be able to take our ideas a step further through their expertise and production techniques. On a global scale, it’s definitely an exciting time to be a designer so we hope that our experimental approach will give us the flexibility to adapt to other projects or contexts where design is increasingly necessary.

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Despite their sculptural lines, the furniture Kanu designs are above all, functional. Dozie kanu is a neo-revolutionary with an insatiable thirst for creation. At only 26 years old, he managed to impose his own signature, recognizable and very strongly inspired by the American street culture.

However, he has developed a very strong aesthetic sense in his creations, transcending design standards. His world combines design, hip-hop and fashion with spectacular ease. In his universe, a rim serves as a chair pedestal whose seat and backrest are cast in raw concrete. Further on, a block of black marble, hoisted on industrial wheels, becomes an unexpected table with a surprising bold design.

Despite his parents encouraged him to study law or medicine, he chose to study Production Design for Film at The School of Visual Arts in New York. He worked as a freelance on commercial projects in New York and even for a production company.

He said during an interview that he was influenced by filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrik, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steve McQueen or Wes Anderson, who, by the way, according to Kanu is a genius in production design.

In all humility and vulnerability, he prefers to devote himself to the functional aspect of his designs, which he considers less rigorous and to which he is not obliged to find a deep meaning in his works because it frightens him so much.

Aware of how the American system encloses the black man in stereotypes confined only to sport, bodybuilding or music, Kanu wants to show that other paths are possible and that contemporary art and design – still elitist – can work to change the perception of American society on American blacks. In love with Torey Thornton‘s paintings, he does not want to be tagged as a black artist, or a Nigerian artist. He considers himself above all as an international artist even if he is interested in the reality that comes with the fact of being black.

In 2018 Kanu was invited to put a progressive outlook on RIMOWA’s timeless icon. The collaboration with RIMOWA unfolded through three separate but intertwined activations: a short film, an installation, and a printed publication in KALEIDOSCOPE issue 32.

Kanu’s recent group exhibitions include “MIDTOWN”, which took place at the historic Lever House, in Manhattan, and “Blow Up”, curated by Felix Burrichter at Friedman Benda in Chelsea, New York. In 2018 Kanu was awarded the Hublot Design Prize, and exhibited his first solo show in London, “Humane Alternatives” at Soft Opening. In April 2019 Salon 94 Design will present Kanu’s first solo show with Salon 94 Design.

Dozie Kanu Studio
Salon94 Design

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Boston has always had a special place in Martin Luther King Jr.’s place. It is the city where he met his wife, Coretta Scott and where they went to graduate school. He declared in 1965 that “Boston must become a testing ground for the ideals of freedom.”

 “In 2017, King Boston, a privately funded effort working closely with the City of Boston, heeded that call when it asked for submissions for a memorial in the Kings’ honor on Boston Common, the site of many historic marches and protests.”

Today, King Boston, which is also supporting a documentary film and additional programming that promotes equity, has announced the winner: conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas and MASS Design Group, perhaps best known for their work on the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama.

“Called The Embrace, the 22-foot-tall sculpture represents the hands of King and Scott King, evoking images of the couple—and other protesters—arm-in-arm in peaceful marches for civil rights as well as the power of physical togetherness in declaring resistance against injustice. “The Embrace” also embodies Scott King’s emphasis on the transformative power of empathy—and putting it into action. Visitors to the sculpture will be readily reflected in its mirror-finish bronze, making them part of the installation.”

To read the full content –> Architectural Digest 

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The very much anticipated collaboration between Ikea and Top African designers is now available. It is time now to the world to see how Africa can be inspired. But one question remains, as everyone is getting excited for this collaboration, Isn’t this a way to “exoticize” African creativity once again under the guise of an “ethnic” label in Ikea stores? Or isn’t this a new business model with Ikea sauce, designed to constantly provide new items for sale to the world? Who knows after Africa, why not Mexico, or Peru or Latin America? But do not get us wrong. Ikea is a noble model that makes design accessible to millions of people. But in order to rule, people has to buy it. We will be happy to read what you think.

“The anticipated launch of Ikea’s Överallt homeware collection is described as a marriage between African rituals and Scandinavian design. Unveiled at Design Indaba in Cape Town last week, the project is a collaboration between the furniture giant’s in-house designers and a group of talented creatives from five African countries, including South Africa.”

To go further and to read the original content click this link –> Biz community

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We look forward to hearing more.

Original content –> AD Magazine 

The post DESIGN STORIES / A new collaboration to come between The Carpenter Workshop Gallery and Virgil Abloh | AD appeared first on Artskop.

“It is a playful spin on the traditional loveseat. Creators Houtlander paid special attention to movement and colour in the design, lending the furniture piece an organic nature.”

“The duo care about basic human principles of inclusivity, environment and legacy. They connected with a single aim to design accessible and covetable furniture.” “We admire modernist design, respect the tried and tested methods of centuries of traditional joinery and challenge ourselves to employ modern methods to create functional pieces with a future heritage,” adds the duo.

To go further -> Design Indaba

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The Architect David Adjaye will design Ghana’s first Venice biennale Pavillon.

Here is an extract of the article.

“Being able to show the diversity and creativity of Ghana on an international scale is an incredible achievement,” said the British architect in a statement. It also showcases the breadth of the nation’s artistic talent, he continued. Adjaye himself is no stranger to pavilion design, having created nearly 10 in recent years; his first at the Biennale was a 2003 collaboration with artist Chris Ofili for Britain. In 2017, AD revealed a backyard pavilion he designed for Design Miami founder Craig Robins’s home in South Beach, Florida. And most recently, he put out a call for augmented-reality architecture proposals to run alongside this year’s annual Serpentine Pavilion in London, to be built by Japanese architect Junya Ishigami. (Adjaye is a Serpentine trustee and was part of the team that selected West African architect Diébédo Francis Kéré for the 2017 design.)

Read the full article –> Architectural Digest

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