Curiosity in a vase

Product design

A vase that needs to be broken before you can really see it’s design? It goes completely against our nature but also awakens our curiosity, that is Curious Vase by designer Mianne de Vries.

By Cassandra Pizzey /asdf 06-09-2012

As part of her graduation project at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU), Mianne de Vries was interested in objects which mean more to people than just the product itself. “Take your grandfather’s pipe or a stone you found on holiday”, explains De Vries. “These objects become special because of the experience you’ve shared together.” From this idea she started developing Curious Vase, a product that has emotional value to its user.

The Curious Vase comprises several vases within one another, varying from two to four layers. The only way to discover what the different layers look like is to break the outside shell, “something completely against our nature”, according to De Vries. The vase is made from ceramics – a rather sturdy material – and needs quite a bash before it’s broken. “It also produces a hefty sound”, says the designer.

“It was a really interesting project to do”, she continues. “Technically the production was challenging and it’s exciting to see what will come from the oven each time. Because I build the layers on top of each other, there a many weak spots which can potentially tear during the baking process. I took a lot of time to do research, into the molds for instance. I was aware this wouldn’t be an easy task but after locking myself up in the ceramics workshop, Curious Vase was the what came out.”

In her work, Mianne de Vries is constantly looking for products that interact with the user, of which Curious Vase is a shining example. The vase itself with its characteristic shape makes the user curious as to what’s inside, hence the name. “As a designer I enjoy adding an extra dimension to an otherwise ordinary product. Everyone knows what a vase with flowers looks like but by creating these layers it becomes something surprising.”

Watching the video of the designer breaking her first Curious Vase wee see how the user has to be both determined to break through the outer shell, yet careful not to damage the layers beneath. Indeed, the banging of the hammer on the ceramics creates a loud sound, making the ritual with the hammer even more exciting. When parts of the shell are broken away, the user can either decide to keep this little window to the next vase, or destroy the outer layer completely. Thus, the product is not only interactive but is unique to each user.

Photography: Merel Kemp