Material and Process
The city of Jingdezhen, China—renowned for its rich history as the center of porcelain production for over a thousand years—is home to many of the world’s most prolific ceramics factories. On average, about 4% of the wares produced are considered flawed and never reach the marketplace. We collect and crush these discarded plates, vases, and teapots, repurposing their beautifully varied shards as aggregate material in our cast tiles and designed objects—giving new form to a centuries-old tradition.
This work is the result of a collaboration with an aluminum foundry in northern Beijing. While normally producing parts for machinery, the factory agreed to let the artists use the site for a series of material experiments. The result is not only beautiful tile and designed objects, but also an invaluable cultural exchange through a shared exploration of material, process and craftsmanship.