Heath Design Series
Design Series 1: Between Hand and Machine
"For the first Design Series, I focused on small objects. Starting from a place as an industrial designer and hobby ceramicist, and understanding that Heath clay isn't manufactured for throwing, I wanted to take it small and slow. Small, functional objects felt like the perfect starting point."
Design Series 2: Between Form and Function
"After Design Series 1, which was all about modestly-sized objects, I felt more comfortable dealing with clay. Design Series 2 was all about vessels. Large vessels, for flower arrangements or bouquets. The form of a vessel allows it to stand alone as an art object. Its function comes when flowers are placed inside."
Design Series 3: Throwing Light
“In the first and second Design Series, the clay turned immediately into a product\u2026 clay into a candleholder, or clay into a vessel. In the third year, I felt much more familiar with the material, but I wanted to challenge that relationship more. I found light to be the perfect place to start.”
Design Series 4: Alchemy
“After spending three years with clay, I realized I shouldn’t miss the opportunity to learn from our master glazer, Winnie. Her depth of knowledge and skillset are some of what drew me to clay, and year four was dedicated working closely with her to broaden my understanding of glaze and technique.”
Design Series 5: Forming Fables
“At Heath, function comes first. Each and every thing has a purpose. But what if I spent a year exploring things that weren’t particularly functional? What began as a year of exploring decorative animal figurines became a love affair with how I understand and interact with animals and the world.”
Design Series 6: Growing Small
“Does growth always mean bigger? So often, growing is synonymous with becoming grander and more impressive. Is this the most important way to grow? The only way? What if I could grow inward? I want to grow small, to see close. This year was about a scale you can hold inside your hand.”
Design Series 7: Bold Interpretation
“After six Design Series, I had made hundreds of designs. I’d exercised my mind, found solutions and inspiration, and found new ways to express myself, but I was missing the connection of clay and the intimate, simple, calm interaction with the wheel.”
Design Series 8: Listen
“What happens when you have so many plans for a year, but everything changes, all at once? Is Design Series still meaningful? Where does inspiration come from when we’re surrounded by depression and loss? I heard people say they wanted to forget, but how can we? To avoid history is to avoid experience.”
Design Series 9: Forms of Care
“Coming out of the pandemic, it felt like a time to regrow. A time for rebirth. I decided to bring in an element I had grown particularly fond of during the pandemic: plants. My favorite? The tiny green leaf as it first sprouts from the branch. It doesn’t matter what kind it is - it’s this tiny hope, this tiny life, that eventually grows into something more.”
Design Series 10: Between Open & Close
“Over ten years of making, the answer I set out to find through Design Series slowly revealed itself to me through my works. As the ten years come to a close, I now see the project didn't take me where I thought it would—because nothing ever does—instead, it took me on a journey of connecting my hands with my heart.”