The polymath ceramist Marek Cecula is at it again. Since he moved from New York to Kielce, Poland he has been busier than ever, which is saying a lot. Not only did he produce the most influential cutting edge ceramic art while in the United States, he is also one of Europe’s most inventive designers. We’re exploring his work with a series of posts in this issue.
Cecula’s Mix & Match Cosmopolitan Series is a system of contemporary tableware, which offers a palette of porcelain which can be arranged into a vareity of compositions. Modus Design describes the set as “eclectic synchronization,” which flies in the face of tradition which dictates that chinaware must be in a single unified style.
“We designed an open system of patterns and colors that offers new options in customizing compositions of tabletop for domestic and restaurant setup(s),” Cecula said of the set.
Cecula was known primarily as a ceramics designer both for industry and for his own low-volume production unit. His turnaround came after working on new ideas at the European Ceramic Work Centre in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands in 1994. His work from this experimental period was shown for the first time at the Garth Clark Gallery in New York under the title Scatology. Subsequently, Cecula has brought out one groundbreaking body of work after the other: Hygiene in 1996 and Violations in 1998. His work is in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, North Carolina; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York.
Above image: Mix & Match Cosmopolitan Series by Marek Cecula.
Any thoughts about this post? Share yours in the comment box below.
Mix & Match Cosmopolitan Series by Marek Cecula.
Visit the Ćmielów Design Studio
Read more about the set on Modus Design
Marek’s designs are stunningly beautiful with the interchangeable geometric or curvilinear designs with different hues.