Working from her studio in Dalston, East London, Jo Davies produces stunning ceramics with an opulent tinge. One of the latest designers to contribute to our ever expanding roster of Heal’s Collectables, we got in touch with Jo to discuss her handmade approach to design.
Tell us about your design process, how do you get started?
There are a few different starting points, but usually I begin with the simple concept of fulfilling a particular function. Following this, the process of working with clay has a major influence on the forms that will be made.
By playing with scale I am able to change the perception of the function. My process is different to many designers because I physically make each stage of my thought process, basically forgoing paper and pencil for clay and my wheel.
I would argue that my way is just as quick if not a little more effective as a visualisation tool because I can see the object in the round. I may keep the ‘sketches’ I have made, taking them through to fired ceramic or I may simply recycle the clay and use it again on another day.
Do you have a design hero that influences your work?
No one person is my design hero, I have many people I respect within the design and craft community, but I do tend to go through phases of hero-worship.
How did you get involved with Heal’s?
Initially through an exhibition during London Design Festival in 2014 when I was approached by Heal’s, I then ended up showing some pieces in the Modern Craft Market earlier this year.
What would you dream brief be?
To create an installation of vessels, large and small, for an incredible space like the National Trust’s Ham House in South West London or even a gallery setting like the Mashiko Museum of Ceramic Art in Japan.
The simplicity of my work and, to be specific, its monochromatic qualities make it easy to incorporate within many spaces, particularly against a backdrop like Ham House. Jo’s exclusive range of designs for Heal’s Collectables can be found on display within the homewares department of our Tottenham Court Road store.
Jo will also be hosting an exclusive workshop in December where you can make your very on porcelain tealight.
[ INSPIRATION ]
Behind the design
When we first heard news of The World of Charles and Ray Eames, it’s safe to say we were somewhat excited. So after months of anticipation, how did the Barbican’s new blockbuster exhibition fare?
Whether you’re an expert in all things Mid-century Modern or new to the designers work, visitors will not be disappointed by the sheer breadth and range of this retrospective show.
Delving deep into the Eames family archive, this exhibition captures the duos playful approach to design by displaying key pieces of furniture alongside personal letters, photographs, drawings, models, and multi-media installations.
Borrowing the pre-fabricated aesthetic of the Eames House (aka Case Study #8) to great effect, the Mid-century displays look at home within the Barbican’s Brutalist architecture.
Plenty of space is given to iconic designs such as the , ETR Table and ESU Shelving, while a whole room is dedicated to the designer’s ground-breaking series of fibreglass chairs (the DSW, DAR and RAR to name a few) all of which take pride of place within our designer collections.
To give an insight into the process behind their creation, each piece is accompanied by sketches, photographs and videos that help to tell the story of a career spanning over four decades.
Prototypes also reveal the designers experimental approach to materials, with moulded plywood forms and unusual leg splints that look more like contemporary sculpture than 1940s industrial design. Having shaped contemporary design of the period, the work of Charles and Ray Eames continues to have an enduring influence on the way we live today.
A must see for anyone with an interest in interiors, we can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon than losing yourself in this exhibition followed by a trip to Heal’s to test your favourite Eames designs.
Join us as we take a trip through the mind of internationally renowned designer Tom Dixon. Hosted by Becky Sunshine of The Pool, the evening will provide a unique insight into the inspirations and processes behind his most iconic projects plus new collections.
A self-taught craftsman, Tom Dixon has risen to become one of the world’s most celebrated furniture, lighting and interior designers.
His unexpected combination of industrial forms and opulent metallic finishes have long been a hit at Heal’s, and we can’t wait to welcome him back to our Tottenham Court Road store.
The brains and brawn behind our exclusive industrial lighting collection, Made By The Forge combine modern, industrial style with the traditional craft of blacksmithing.
Curious to learn more, we spoke to blacksmith Richard Fishenden about the ancient crafts and skills that go into each piece.
Where is your workshop based?
Made by the Forge is based in the small Suffolk village of Elmsett. We rent our space from a farmer who decided to turn his former pig farm into workshops and studios, so it certainly has that traditional craft feel.
How did the collaboration with Anthony Dickens come about?
Our relationship sprang from a special collaboration for Made by The Forge between Anthony, William Warren, Chris Eckersley and Gareth Neal, which was exhibited at last year’s Design Junction. We loved his work, so it was a no-brainer to collaborate on a full collection with him.
How long did the collection take to design and craft?
From the initial concept to the finished pieces, the collection for Heal’s took roughly seven months to complete. While the range is based on Anthony’s clever interpretation of the popular cage light, it was Richard Fishenden’s blacksmithing skills that really brought the designs to life.
Where does MBTF’s blacksmithing heritage hail from?
Richard comes from a family of Blacksmiths whose time-honoured skills have been passed down through the generations. Having first trained as a farrier, shoeing horses on an apprenticeship, he now has over 20 years’ experience working with solid iron combining his artisan blacksmith skills with a modern approach to interiors.
Tell us more about your exclusive designs for Heal’s
These designs are all part of The Farrier's Cage Collection, each of which has been traditionally hammered and welded from solid iron to create a modern, industrially inspired series of pendants. It’s hard to choose a favourite with designs including the Multi-Bulb, Long bar and six circle Globe Chandelier, but we have to admit that the Teardrop really does steal the show.
What next for MBTF?
Following the success of the Farrier’s Cage collection, we are once again working with Anthony Dickens on some exciting new modern lighting designs. We are also planning a collaboration with Sebastian Cox and Anthony to design a table that combines both natural wood and our solid metal crafts. They’re set to launch later this year exclusively at Heal's, so watch this space!
Want to see the exclusive collection of Heal’s Farrier’s Cage pendants Made By The Forge? Shop Now
A graduate of the prestigious Royal College of Art, Sunny Todd produces a bright, graphic range of patterned textiles all of which are hand printed within his studio in Herefordshire. Working side-by-side with his wife Emma, the duo are set to launch their first exclusive collection at Heal’s. We caught up with the man himself to learn more about the studio and their unique range of prints.
Where is your studio based?
Our studio is in Ledbury, Herefordshire.
Where did you study?
I studied Textile Design at Birmingham University before doing my Masters in Printed Textiles at The Royal College of Art.
Tell us about the first piece you ever designed?
The first piece I ever sold was a hand painted fabric swatch to Diane Von Furstenberg when I was in my first year at the Royal College.
What is the inspiration behind your work?
I have always loved Matisse’s cut outs and the amazing use of colour by artists such as Patrick Heron, Howard Hodgkin, David Hockney and Patrick Caulfield. Scandinavian design is also a constant source of influence and I am inspired on a daily basis by the confidence, freedom and simplicity of our childrens’ drawings.
How do you approach the design process?
The process is incredibly important to us; we draw and cut each shape and then arrange them into a pattern or repeat. We don’t use computers at this stage, which we find gives the finished print beautiful irregularities.
The quality and sustainability of our fabric and products is paramount. We always strive to use the highest quality materials sourced as locally as possible, printing with environmentally friendly water based inks.
Some of our designs have evolved over a number of years whilst others come about through happy accidents whilst we are drawing or even experimenting with stencils on the print table. The selection of colours is just as important and something of a labour of love.
Do you have a preferred material or method?
Silkscreen printing is our favourite. We use this technique almost every day and never tire of it. I love the ritual of cutting out the stencil artwork, carefully mixing the pigment inks, pulling the squeegee across and then lifting the screen to reveal the print. The process is so simple yet so satisfying.
We hand print our paper prints, bags, wash bags and cushions in our studio while the longer lengths of fabrics that are available by the meter are printed in the UK. Everyone has a personal reaction to colour, are there any you instinctively avoid?
Do you have any studio superstitions / design quirks?
No superstitions but we do have two small children so a lot of printing is done when they are in bed. The first thing we do is make a fresh batch of coffee and put on some loud music to keep us going late into the night!
How did you get involved with Heal’s?
When we set up our business we wrote a dream list of companies that we would love to work with and Heal’s were at the very top! We sent a cushion and note to the home buyers’ team and we were delighted when they contacted us the next day to invite us in to meet them. We then worked with the mood board they gave us to recolour our patterns for their Autumn/Winter 2015 collection.
How would you describe your collection for Heal’s?
Our patterns are characterised by bold, clean, graphic shapes that are fun and dynamic. Our signature ‘offset’ provides extra energy that gives the shapes a three-dimensional appearance. Our first fabric collection is made up of 10 of our favourite patterns, each in four different colour combinations that will be available at Heal’s from September 19th.
The limited edition cushion collection consists of two of these designs, Zigzag and Feather, which have been hand screen-printed by myself and Emma in an exclusive range of colours. Sunny Todd’s exclusive collection of prints are available as part of Heal’s Autumn/Winter 2015 collections, all of which will be available through our website or in store.
Part of our Swedish Summer of exhibition and events, Jobs Handtryck’s specially curated selection of fabrics have taken centre stage within our Heal’s showrooms. To learn more about their timeless textiles, we spoke to the printers behind these stylish Scandi designs.
Where is your workshop based?
The workshop is based in a small town called Leksand situated by the beautiful lake Siljan in the centre of Sweden. The region is called Dalarna, or Dalecarlia in English, and is popular with tourists in the summer thanks to a rich culture and heritage that is still very much a part of day to day life.
What’s the heritage behind Jobs Handtryck?
Jobs Handtryck was founded in 1944 by Peer Jobs. Inspired by his mother Elisabet Wisén’s paintings, Peer introduced her sense of colour to his own interest in textile design reproducing many of his sister’s large scale pieces in the process. Since then Jobs Handtryck has continued to collaborate with artists and designers all of which are block or screen printed within the same workshop built by Peer Jobs.
How do you approach the printing process?
All of our fabrics are printed by hand, meaning that we have to work within and around the technical limitations of this process. Other than a radio, we use no machinery as we prefer to produce pieces using these traditional craft methods.
Hand printing does, however, require a great deal of precision, experience and patience. The size and scale of the fabrics we print also requires at least two people to ensure the whole thing runs smoothly. Before we can even begin printing there is a lot of preparation involved as we have to separate the colours of the artist’s original design onto its own stencil, silk screen.
A standard piece is usually between 12 and 16 colours, so you can imagine how labour intensive the whole process is from start to finish.
Tell us about some of the designs you will be showing at our Swedish Summer event?
To give you a taste of what we at Jobs Handtryck do, we’ll be showing a selection of our best-loved metered fabrics. These include the Rabarber, Trollslända, Tistlar and Lupin, to mention a few.
We feel that each of these timeless designs capture the ethos of a Swedish summer, all of which take inspiration from the natural surroundings of our homeland.
To see the collection and get a quote on your own made to order textiles visit Heal’s Swedish Summer exhibition within our Tottenham Court Road store from 27th July to 23rd August 2015 - Now extended to 1st September 2015.
HEAL'S DISCOVERS
Ed Heritage
As part of this season’s Heal’s Discovers initiative, we’re delighted to introduce Ed Heritage, an award-winning UK-based designer whose signature style of clean geometry and playful details is reflected in the beautiful lamp he created.
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