After the first work trip to China it became quickly very clear that this was a ongoing journey that went beyond a quick work visit but letting it evolve into a meaningful relationship building new plans with the contacts made in and around China. Within few months I knew I had to go back again and in a small year time I returned to explore again a few months working in China.

This time the trip was much more conscious and focussed on future work relationships and establishing a warm base with manufactures, craftsmen and designers in Middle and the North China Also my ideals mixed in more, looking into building work with bridging to other cultures and creating a high quality of work together.

The planning was this time full with good plans and business meetings and I looked so much forward meeting up with old friends in Jingdezhen and Shanghai again. China felt already like coming home again. One of the plans was working on research experiments on the importance of craft within design and work with local and new techniques. This became practical by working few weeks in a studio again and working more closely with the local craftsmen but also through great appointments with a high quality factory in North China. This evolved into a fruitful relationship where there was space to talk about experiment, creative nature in workers, brainstorms and create a warm connection to keep the line between designer and manufacture close, in able to explore the process of design meaningful.

The network was surprisingly exploded since the first time visit and with great enthusiasm this was realizing new plans for future. Next to all the work, exploring the options for work studio where the ideas for, material experiment, clinics, writing and engagement could be explored.  China 2. became full months in a hot summer environment discussing and documenting a exciting path that was only about to start..

products Qing Zuo !?

Questions after a presentations in Jingdezhen & Tangshan

You showed us a surprising movie about Jingdezhen, why did you start with this?

‘I made a movie driving through Jingdezhen and every time I realize again how much that gives me the right feeling of being a stranger in this city that feels like home, the hectic life outside the taxi is like a dream passing by and I'm just breathing in parts,understanding, gazing and understanding my view on environment but also have a deep joy for these infrastructures.

With transformed colors and combined with up-tempo sounds it was a powerful media to use and it took the people from Jingdezhen right back in my bubble. There was no better start to feel again how different common life can be and seeing through each others eyes.’

How does your past in product design influence or change now your work with ceramics?

‘My background matters to me a lot, it is essential in what choices we make and look our environment and how I develop my work-methods. The reality of creating work becomes much wider when knowing the processes. My past experiences with Royal Delft evolved into new ones with manufactures and so on and this influences every choice I make.

My present work with ceramics creates a new understanding of working, how in product design the thinking was much more the work now also the material makes more choices in the work. I give material more freedom now to make choices in the end-result, with quality and esthetic in mind while in my past product thinking the end-result a lot of time was a set goal.

You say your study product design learned how to have a different view on life, is this not also in other disciplines like in Art?

Yes, you can say that. I believe that working in design you should create a fresh view on what is needed, question the environment or even more think how your work could be a influence on other people's thinking and their choices. Art, Architecture and Design still have such a different audience and goals but they share functioning for/with the people on different scales. Beside the different varieties in design from highly industrial to almost art object the view stays important. The use of products can have a wide meaning, I think its very important to dare yourself to see 'use' in various ways and wonder what design could be?’

How do you view your future in ceramics, shall we call you a ceramist now with your ceramic MA?

‘I believe, I am not a ceramist even after my Master @ the Royal Collage in London. Materials and design are connected in deep knowledge and

I choose to have more knowhow about ceramics and specify more into this then only touching surface with a project. It gave me new views, not only techniques but also the whole work culture around this and the position of the material ceramic in our world. With disciplines and needs shifting I believe a knowhow of material is important to being able to realize ideas. Doing my MA gave me unique opportunity to explore this and challenge my own ideas about ceramic material can do or become, I still passionately work with other materials as well or try to look more in the educational side of design, service design.

Also my work abroad in China changed me a lot, I was there during study times and the discussion and bridging between cultures is my engine in many ways. By now I can say that the Interrelations between me and the material, the audience and different disciplines make me who I am, I am a designer but with a fresh language learned outside my comfort zone and this builds on my passion for environment & people, they can not be placed in one box, our cultures are a lively proof of this. Learning and being able to understand the other is a ongoing journey.