Floris Wubben between ceramics and design in the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics

From 2 December 2017 to 25 November 2018, designer Floris Wubben (1983) presents new work in his solo exhibition Design #3: Floris Wubben in the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics. Self-designed machines enable Wubben to produce objects quickly and in series. Yet despite this, he doesn't create mass-produced products: due to constant changes Wubben makes while operating the machines, each design is unique and unpredictable. In this way, his work balances the functional and the sculptural. Design #3: Floris Wubben is one of the exhibitions celebrating the reopening and centenary of the museum.

In Design #3, the designer exhibits his Pressed Project, Erosion Set, Hammered Bowls and Ceramic Current. Using experimental production methods he creates the characteristic shapes that make his designs popular internationally: from porcelain cups with a top layer cracked by heating to stoneware vases with playful reliefwork.

Pressed Project

Machines are becoming less and less dependent on mankind. In his Pressed Project, Wubben draws attention to the influence of human activity. He operates the press, thereby leaving his mark on the end result. As a result, no two objects are identical, as can be seen from Wubben's whimsical vases. One of his self-made machines and video recordings of his working process are included in the exhibition.

Erosion Set

Erosion Set, developed in collaboration with Cor Unum Ceramics, consists of bowls, pots and cups. Unique textures are ‘drawn’ onto the unfired porcelain with the flame of the gas burner. The outer layers of the object crack due to the heating process. The result is a combination of elegant form and raw texture.

Hammered Bowls

In the Hammered Bowls project, Wubben entered into a partnership with Piet Hein Eek. The project involves Wubben and Eek creating ceramic bowls with the aid of a self-designed machine. By striking it hard with a hammer, the clay expands in the machine and rings are formed in the upright rims. Here too, the shape of the bowls depends on the maker and his strength. This treatment makes each object unique and personal.

Ceramic Current

Lastly, Wubben exhibits porcelain objects he made during a stay in Japan. While visiting a porcelain factory in Arita, he saw a machine that leaked porcelain drops. This led to the creation of small, unique sculptures that inspired him to make the series Ceramic Current. The objects symbolise dedication and patience, qualities inherent to Japanese culture.

International recognition

Floris Wubben was educated in Belgium, where he studied furniture- and interior design. In Germany, he studied production design for another six months, and in 2009 he founded Studio Floris Wubben in Eindhoven.

His designs do not go unnoticed nationally and internationally. Wubbens' furniture, lamps, pedestals and window display materials are popular with fashion designers Isabel Marant and Chloé. His ceramic stools attracted attention during Design Week 2017 in Milan. Additionally, he won the Belgian Ecodesign Award in 2007 and the German TALENTE in 2014. In the same year Wubben was also nominated for a prize during the European Ceramic Context.