Mindcraft 15 : Focus on Cecilie Manz & Claydies
Our redactor in chief has got the chance and the pleasure to visit most of Mindcraft15 exhibitors studios. Today the focus is on Cecilie Manz and Claydies.
Cecilie Manz is a furniture designer who engages in many different fields within design, from craft-based one-off productions to industrial design. Her choice of materials covers a similarly broad field, from wood, metal, glass and porcelain to electronics and textile. Her working process always begins from scratch, with a blank sheet of paper and a clear focus on functional requirements and possibilities. From this point of departure, the process unfolds with repeated sketching and modelling, as features and form are added. In the final stretch, the form is pared down and simplicified to arrive at the essence, always in her characteristic crisp and clean expression. Her designs are often inspired by everyday situations, but she also draws inspiration from the assignment itself and the working process: materials, research, experimentation and the dialogue with the manufacturer.
Solid Table – 2015 © MINDCRAFT / jeppegudmundsen.com
Cecilie Manz at her studio – Picture by Lise Coirier
Claydies is the Danish design duo composed by Tine Broksø and Karen Kjældgård-Larsen. They work together in a close interactive process based on humour, dialogue and experimentation. The artistic aspect and the tradition of hand-crafting objects are important focus for the duo, and they often explore historical ceramic methods with the aim of reflecting on and revitalizing the old techniques. This is the reason why their projects are often address and are inspired by themes from outside the ceramic universe. Their works explore the cross-field between functional objects and sculptural statements and are always framed by an overall concept or idea that they wish to explore.
Fontanella’ – 2015 © MINDCRAFT / jeppegudmundsen.com
Pictures by Lise Coirier
Do not miss our next Focus posts on Mindcraft exhibitors.
Mincraft exhibition will take place in Milan from 14 to 19 April, 2015.