Cabinets of Curiosity

Cabinets of Curiosity

Cabinets of Curiosities was a presentation made by Jorine Oosterhoff, Lenneke Wispelwey, Egbert-Jan Lam, and Paula Arntzen as part of Zona Ventosa in the Temporary Art Centre (TAC), Eindhoven, Holland during “Dutch Design Week 2011”.

The groups combined interest is in the use of crafts to interface contemporary shapes and decorations. Their work is connected through a combined interest in the use of craft to come to contemporary shapes and decorations.

The exhibition is a extraordinary collection of of proud porcelain, wafer thin lights, and innovative tableware designs brought together in a highly inspiring setting. It was an exhibition of porcelain, lighting and furniture brought together in a warm, almost domestic atmosphere.

About Paula Arntzen

Dutch Artist Paula Arntzen, born in 1980, is currently working in Arnhem where she has her own design studio.

Arntzen studied traditional furniture making at HMC in Amsterdam and Product Design at ArtEZ Academy of the Arts in Arnhem.

Paula’s designs represent a combination of the lightness, colour and monumental shaping. Her designs find their origin in a fascination for grand forms and qualities of a material. After constant study and observation she managed to obtain a deep knowledge and understanding of the material and it unique characteristics. This is a procedure through which the designer decides not only on the form and shape but also on the elements that will determine and lead to a multifunctional object/ project creation. A creation that will serve both decorative and functional roles in a space.

Paula presented stunning paper lamps ‘Butterfly’ – ” I love paper because it is so delicate and fragile and available in many different colors and weights. It is airy and translucent just like lighting it self. With my fascination for grand forms and nature I experiment with the idea on natural shapes and various editing techniques. One I make by laser cutting, the other two by screen printing and the last one was big digital printing with transparent inks.”

She also presented the lighting collection “Nouveaux Royal” she designed for Artecnica.

“During my studies at the Academy of Arts and Design I went in 2007 to the Palace of Versialles in Paris. This experience has made a big impression on me because the palace is so magnificent, elegant and big. And in the garden of the Palace there is another Palace called the Grand Trianon and within its own park there is a smaller chateau called the Petit Trianon. Both of them are also very big and with gorgeous chandeliers. So the names come for a unique, inspirational experience were the first ideas started of the light collection. “An expression of modern royalty”

The Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon are a large, lightweight chandelier made of Tyvek.

La Couronne, the crown is an airy chandelier designed from two pieces copper foil material.

About Jorine Oosterhoff

The  Studio JORINE was founded in 2005 in Arnhem, The Netherlands by Jorine Oosterhoff.

It specialises in porcelain objects especially tableware.

JORINE works on self initiated projects as well as on projects for clients.

JORINE’s work tells stories. Her products become little characters, each with their own identity. As every product is taken separately, giving it its own unique characteristics, a collection become a family. Together they provide surreal atmospheres, making you smile or give you good memories of childhood.

In bigger productions JORINE often works together with buroJET / Egbert-jan Lam. The engineer besides the storyteller. Together they have done projects for clients such as de Ster (big in inflight tableware), GEPA, UMBRA Canada and also do exhibition designs for festivals.

The Tea Time service is derived from the famous story of Alice in Wonderland, the items seem to inhabit the tabletop, walking around on the table like an army of porcelain soldiers, with the whimsical Mad Hatters and the Queen Tea as magical centre pieces

Café Pompose is a coffee set consisting of a cappuccino cup, espresso cup and a ristretto cup. The cups are caricatured personalities. For example the cappuccino cup represents a fat lady, the espresso cup a stately gentleman with a large ego (but ridiculously short next to his wife)

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About Egbert-Jan Lam

Egbert-Jan was born in Alkmaar, the Netherlands in 1971, graduated in building-engineering (1994) and in design at the Design Academy, Eindhoven in 1999 .

In 2001 he set up buroJET, a design studio in Eindhoven.

That time he worked a lot for other designers, producing some designs of his own, producing national and international design exhibitions, initiating and participating in artist co-operations / foundations. He participated in several design exhibitions for Droog Design and The Design Academy in Milan.

In 2003 he got a government grant for developing his work for a year. During this time he developed a lot of skills and network in the field of design management, manufacturing, prototyping, product-development, sales, distribution, planning and advice.

In 2005 he moved to the city of Arnhem and started a cooperation with fellow designer Jorine Oosterhoff which resulted in 2006 in design studio Freaks-United working for international producers in the field of on-board flight entertainment and interior products.

In the summer of 2007 the decision was made to make buroJET a full-time design studio, now working as an independent design company buroJET designs and develops concepts and products for their own label as well as national and international contractors and manufacturers .

About Lenneke Wispelwey

Lenneke Wispelwey was born in 1979

She founded her studio in 2008 in Arnhem, Netherlands.

Till now she has mainly focused on working with porcelain.

Her pastel coloured products with mathematic / geometric patterns are the result of a very low-tech way of designing. Lenneke finds a basic, simple approach to techniques and materials very important to communicate her vision and her way of working. She prefers creating a family of products because as an only child she had always a desire for a bigger family.

Her work is also known for the use of different shades of one colour,  and playing with the contrast between biscuit and glazed porcelain.

Her love for curiosa, vintage and other remarkable items is showing in how she poetically displays her work in a bigger picture. She creates honest and harmonious designs, inspired by her own memories and found pieces from every day life.

She feels her work should make people smile.

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