When last fall Covid-19 put the whole of The Netherlands in an at homebound work state, Dutch designer Tijs Gilde was likewise confined to a smaller quantity of square meters. Luckily this didn’t stop him from working in his studio where he found enough inspiration to create a vibrant collection of vases.

After a few weeks in lockdown, he got sick of working in a cramped posture behind his computer screen and felt eager to get his hands dirty again. This time the material clay found his interest. Creating with a voluminous main form in the back of his mind, he found the freedom to collage different qualities of clay into well-developed patterns.

As he normally departs from experimentation with a finalised product in mind. He now felt the need to play around with different textures and colours and let an instinctive pattern arise. Using different qualities of clay, a material well suited for intuitive making, Tijs managed to create something very unexpected. He developed a dynamic collection of vases, made with multiple coloured clays, layered in graphical patterns. From afar, you will observe almost a printed or glazed pattern. However, when you look close, you will see a much more intriguing rougher surface combining smaller shapes of precision. The layering and repetition of the qualities of clay fascinates Tijs.

‘When you get the idea that it is truly handmade with dedication but still feels industrial as an object’. Trial and error was definitely the case when making these vases. fortunately, he wasn’t short in time due to the homebound situation and because of this, he was in the position to twist the negatives to positives.