One man’s trash is another man’s treasure when it comes to Joana Meroz’s beautiful service tableware. Beginning with cracked porcelain ware, the Brazilian/Israeli designer fills each crack with gold luster and then embellishes each piece with decorative self-made transfers, resulting in elegant, re-invented tableware. This creative method of celebrating imperfections and revitalizing “damaged” goods is being featured at the Gr3en Design Reduce-Reuse- Recycle Exhibition which features Finnish, Belgian and Dutch designers. A worthy addition, Joana Meroz’s tableware offers the sophistication of fine dining ware while gaining green cred by keeping cracked tableware out of the dumpster.
Joana Meroz’s inspiring vision stems from her ability to see cracks and fissures as a call to create something unique. Often embellishing with motifs inspired by nature, such as flowers and roots, she inspires ideas of continuity and development rather than focusing upon perfection. The collection’s aesthetic is also meant to pay homage to the floral decorations often found on traditional tableware while updating them with contemporary flair.
Although Joana Meroz has developed a strong floral theme in her work, she still comes about each design organically, stating that “the decoration which I apply depends entirely on the shape and positioning of the chip.” By creating a unique identity for each piece, Joana Meroz embraces irregular items in a society of mass-produced goods. Her pieces allow their viewers to imagine the possibilities for the re-invention everyday objects, proving that small details can make the ordinary into something extraordinary.
+ The Ornamented Life
+ Gr3en Design [Reduce - Reuse - Recycle]
Fabulous idea…Thanks for making the world a more beautiful and sustainable place.
Very pretty, but I would be leery about using it, cracks can harbor bacteria, and gold lustre is wicked toxic stuff. I am a ceramic artist, and much as I love the look, I won’t use the stuff.