#LDF14: Seams by Benjamin Hubert for Bitossi Ceramiche

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Research into creating mass-produced products with one-off marks from the manufacturing process inspired British designer Benjamin Hubert to create these tactile vessels for Italian ceramic manufacturer Bitossi Ceramiche. They are currently on display this week at Vessel Gallery in Notting Hill as part of London Design Festival.

Hubert began the project by studying slip casting – a technique used in pottery for mass-production, often for shapes not easily made on a traditional wheel. He investigated ways of introducing decorative elements to a design, without having to carry out multiple processes. The slip casting mould fortuitously created an interesting additional seam line that would normally be cleaned off and eradicated from memory. Now the seams are the defining part of the pieces, a mark of the manufacturing process, only added to by a matte glaze. Each mould can be rotated to various positions for every piece produced, meaning that no two are the same.

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Images courtesy Benjamin Hubert