ceramic design can help people with disabilities to develop new skills

ceramic design can help people with disabilities to develop new skills
all images courtesy of BCXSY

twinkelbel is a unique workshop in that it caters to the mentally handicapped, using ceramics as a medium to generate communication, therapy and play. ‘stamppot’ — initiated by the kazerne lab — is the result of BCXSY collaboration with twinkelbel, a day care center and ceramic workshop in eindhoven, the netherlands. the goal is to foster partnerships between creative professionals and businesses, with an emphasis on the social, economic, and cultural value of the collaboration and resulting projects, via the power of applied creativity. 

ceramics made by participants of the workshop

‘stamppot’ consists of a series of ceramic objects that contain a relationship to tableware. while referencing typical dutch vegetables, the forms remain amorphous; they are designed to be interpreted. through a guided interaction with ceramic production, clients are able to develop new skills, grow in their own unique creativity, and generate emotional responses to their own handiwork.

the ceramic objects that contain a relationship to tableware

openness is as much a part of the end product as the production process. one of BCXSY ‘s main desires was to create a project that would allow room for each client to explore their own level of understanding, and show off or even further develop their own handwriting. finding the right vehicle for this was no easy task. BCXSY returned to the drawing board several times before creating the right balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar, simplicity and suggestion, durability and delicacy.

process images of the ceramics in the workshop

during BCXSY’s initial interactions, they discovered that the clients at twinkelbel have a wonderful affinity for their home country, and a pure enthusiasm for all things ‘dutch’. BCXSY was inspired by this energy and wanted to create a project that would reflect this link in a meaningful way. ‘stamppot’ is a very traditional dutch dish created from the combination of potatoes mashed together with different vegetables. because of the simplicity of the recipe, there are countless ways it can be interpreted.

the pieces reference the shape and form of vegetables

‘stamppot’ starts with the addition of a light gray pigment to the clay body before casting, referencing traditional dutch tableware. after the ceramic shapes have been bisque fired, participants are given an image of one of the four vegetables that are most common in the stamppot recipe: potatoes, kale, onions and carrots. using a color palette tailored to each vegetable, they are then asked to glaze a given form with their own interpretation of the image, emphasizing texture and pattern. in this way value is added, where the glazing process is not simply an illustration of the vegetable on a blank canvas, but rather the entire form begins to embody the vegetable, taking on whichever characteristics the artists choose.

a workshop participant paints a ceramic bowl

credits:

‘stamppot’ was a part of KAZERNE LAB #02. SUSTAINABLE DAY CARE BY BCXSY & TWINKELBEL
with special thanks to creative industries fund NL and stichting DOEN
pieces photography by ruud balk
process/portraits photography by BCXSY

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