MUNICH—German designer Ingrid Ruegemer’s half-spherical igneous and gilded vessels in her POLARITY & UNITY series showcase her ability to foster cohesion of seemingly opposing forces. The almost modular, porous volcanic vessels rest inside, atop and alongside their hand-scratched golden counterparts, which together play with the sensory qualities of material and examine the concept of polarity.
The two vessels are made from materials with highly contrasting visual and tactile qualities. The brass vessel is highly polished on the outside and reflects light and its surroundings – on the inside the metal reveals a line texture which is engraved by hand. The ceramic vessel is made from pigmented stoneware clay which is perforated by hand – sanded and polished after firing to achieve a very tactile, velvety, porous and matte surface with light absorbing qualities. The two vessels not only compliment each other visually, assembled they become ONE playfully balanced unity.
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Similarly, her oblong, flat objects from her INSIDE series feature the same volcanic material brimming a gilded tray-like center.
INSIDE is a series of vessel objects, which elevate a vessel’s inner space. Shiny and reflective brass or copper elements nest perfectly inside a matt and light absorbing unglazed ceramic vessel. The two materials offer highly contrasting visual and tactile qualities and invite to be touched and explored. Depending on the viewpoint the embedded metal surfaces flare up and draw the viewer‘s attention to take a closer look inside. Some metal inlays reveal an engraved texture, others are perfectly polished and mirror their surroundings. The hand built ceramic vessels have a porous yet smooth and tactile surface which is achieved through a process of perforating the soft clay and sanding the pieces after firing.
In her artist statement, she explains she combines both craft and industrial processes in her minimalist and playful designs bridging the contrasting fields of functional design and sculpture.
Her handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces explore diverse material and surface qualities, and focus on enhancing perceptual awareness, sensory aspects of emotions, and man-object relations.
Ruegemer’s work was recently presented at the prestigious Grassimesse international art and design fair in 2017 (Leipzig, October 20 -22, 2017).
About the artist: Ingrid Ruegemer is a German designer and artist based in Munich. She holds a Master’s degree in Design (MA Design: Ceramics, Furniture, Jewellery) from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design (Dipl.-Design FH) from University of Applied Arts, Augsburg, Germany. After completing her undergraduate studies in Germany, Ingrid gathered extensive international work experience in diverse places such as Cape Town, Grand Cayman, Barcelona and London. In 2001 she co-founded an interdisciplinary design studio in London. In 2007 Ingrid completed her MA degree and launched her first collection of tableware products under the label “Absolute Appetite”: sensory gourmet tableware, interrogating functionality and social exchange.
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