CAPE TOWN—South African designer Laurie Wiid van Heerden, founder of Wiid Design, has released this beautiful ceramic table collection in collaboration with Ceramic Matters.
The collection features 1.8m drop-leaf dining table, fitted with 45 custom-made rectangular greenish-blue ceramic tiles, and two circular side tables featuring tiles in thirds. The tables are made from custom steel components and American walnut for a reimagined mid-century modern feel, Visi Magazine writes.
Wiid van Heerden explains the collaborative process:
“We finalised the overall concept together. My studio focused on the design work, construction, proportions and technical aspects relating to the steel and timber components; Ceramic Matters advised on how we could incorporate tiles and how their manufacture would be challenged by the design parameters.”
Once the structure of the tables was complete, colors could be chosen. Each reactive glazed tile is unique yielding color variances as a result of the firing process.
Behind the award-winning Ceramic Matters is design duo Gerhard Swart and Anthony Harris. The two became friends with Wiid van Heerden after after traveling to Switzerland in 2013 where they exhibited at Design Miami/Basel as part of Southern Guild.
“Personally, I find it easy to collaborate when there is a mutual respect for each other’s work, especially if there is an established friendship and trust. Ceramic Matters are true specialists in their trade – always professional with a great knowledge of design and materials.”
Wiid Van Heerden and Ceramic Matters also collaborated in 2015 on their warped vases. You can read an interview about and see some examples of that collaboration here.
Wiid Van Heerden’s artist page states, “[his] work comes from a conceptual and artistic environment, an angle on various topics of contemporary culture, with a focus on traditional handcrafting in combination with avant-garde techniques. By combining handcrafting and specialist techniques, Wiid transforms materials into life-enriching and durable objet d’art.”
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