Gold Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design · 2021
Plycelain Tableware Collection
by Yuting Chang
- A' Design Award 2021 Gold Winner in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Yuting Chang
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 54,195
- Verification code EFB0622373 · Verify this award
About Plycelain Tableware Collection
Plycelain -a term coined by Yuting Chang combining plywood and porcelain- is a collection of multilayered slip casting drinkware. Chang creates a contemporary version of blue and white ware through applying slip casting, the mass-production technique of ceramics. By adapting the process of slip casting, layers form, and subtle blue lines are exposed on the cut surfaces, which emphasize the beautiful relationship between assembled parts.
Yuting Chang's Plycelain Tableware Collection represents a significant contribution to contemporary ceramic design practice where traditional porcelain craftsmanship converges with innovative material investigation and refined formal sensibility. The collection demonstrates the designer's sophisticated understanding of how functional objects can transcend mere utility to become vehicles for aesthetic contemplation and tactile pleasure. The distinctive construction technique reveals itself through the parallel blue striations that traverse each piece suggesting a laminated building process where thin layers of contrasting clay bodies are assembled to create structural decoration that emerges organically from the making rather than being applied superficially. This approach aligns with enduring craft principles valuing material honesty and process legibility while achieving visual effects of considerable sophistication. The restrained chromatic palette of warm cream whites accented solely by measured intervals of cobalt blue establishes a visual language that feels simultaneously contemporary and timeless evoking historical ceramic traditions from both Eastern and Western lineages while remaining distinctly of its moment. The loop handles extending horizontally create a distinctive silhouette that transforms familiar vessel typologies into sculptural objects worthy of contemplation beyond their functional purpose. The designer appears to investigate how repetition and subtle variation can generate visual rhythm creating a sense of measured cadence across the assembled forms. Technical accomplishment manifests in the crisp precision of the linear elements the refined consistency of the matte surfaces and the harmonious proportional relationships between the nested pieces. One might consider how such objects mediate between the intimate scale of daily ritual and the broader cultural conversations surrounding handcraft sustainability and mindful consumption in contemporary life.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Plycelain -a term coined by the designer combining plywood and porcelain- is a collection of multilayered slip casting drinkware. The designer creates a contemporary version of blue and white ware through applying slip casting, the mass-production technique of ceramics. By adapting the process of slip casting, layers form, and subtle blue lines are exposed on the cut surfaces, which emphasize the beautiful relationship between assembled parts.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Cup : 114 x 89 x 70 (mm)
Big Saucer : 133 x 133 x 13 (mm)
Bowl : 114 x 114 x 60 (mm)
Espresso Cup : 70 x 93 x 53 (mm)
Small Saucer : 114 x 114 x 13 (mm) - Tags
- Tableware, Porcelain, Slipcasting,
- Production Technology
- Slipcasting, Porcelain
- Design Challenge
- The challenge was each layer of the pieces requires precision and good timing to form a proper thickness during slip casting. Also, the assembling and fettling works before bisque firing are crucial.
- Project Duration
- The project started in December 2017 in Chicago and finished in 2018.
- Operation Flow
- Plycelain is a tableware collection, including a cup set (with big saucer), an espresso cup set (with small saucer), and a Bowl. The design of Plycelain tableware collection is understated and humble, yet with a second look, the meticulous and innovative craftsmanship is not quiet at all.
- Research
- Blue-and-white ware was the most classic and influential type of Chinese porcelain before industrialization. After the invention of mass production techniques, porcelain ware can be slipcasted, and embellishments can be applied by transfer-printing. The manufacturing process is about large quantities of standardized products and unconcerned with the aesthetics of craftsmanship. The designer asked herself: how to utilize mass production techniques while keeping the genuineness of the craftsmanship spirit and create a new version of blue-and-white?
The designer tries to find the balance between tradition and modernity by transforming mass production techniques- slipcasting. She started with the idea of creating a pattern without actually painting on the clay like the traditional way. Gradually, the concept of patterning by layering casting formed.
Unlike traditional decorative blue-and-white, which embellishments are glazed on the outer surface, the patterns on Plycelain are composed of the cross-section of each functional component, such as mugs’ handles and saucers’ feet. The delicate blue lines are embedded internally during the process of slipcasting and become visible where the pieces are trimmed into shape during assembly. The subtle lines bring out the beautiful relationship between assembled parts and make this collection a unique tableware design. - Inspiration
- The modern update of the blue-and-white porcelain is not only regarding the appearance but also about the manufacturing process. After the invention of mass production techniques, porcelain-ware can be slipcasted, and embellishments can be applied by transfer-printing. The designer tries to find the balance between tradition and modernity by utilizing mass production techniques while keeping the genuineness of the craftsmanship spirit.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Yuting Chang, Plycelain, 2019.
Image #2: Photographer Yuting Chang, Plycelain, 2019.
Image #3: Photographer Yuting Chang, Plycelain, 2019.
Image #4: Photographer Yuting Chang, Plycelain, 2019.
Image #5: Photographer Yuting Chang, Plycelain, 2019. - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Yuting Chang, 2021. All rights reserved.
Colors of Plycelain Tableware Collection
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Contemporary Ceramic Design Studio
We create innovative ceramic tableware that reimagines traditional porcelain through modern techniques. Our award-winning approach combines meticulous craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics, resulting in functional art pieces that elevate everyday dining experiences.
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