DESIGNER OF THE DAY

Designer of the Day: Jan Ernst

Through his creative practice, Jan Ernst pushes clay into exciting new forms that are narratively rich and challenge long-held expectations of the medium. It’s perhaps best embodied in the Cape Town–based talent’s sinuously shaped new Womb collection, a series of sculptural luminaires that recently debuted at Collectible fair in Brussels and arises from his reverence for the majestic rock formations found in his home country’s Cederberg region that date back thousands of years.

Through his creative practice, Jan Ernst pushes clay into exciting new forms that are narratively rich and challenge long-held expectations of the medium. It’s perhaps best embodied in the Cape Town–based talent’s sinuously shaped new Womb collection, a series of sculptural luminaires that recently debuted at Collectible fair in Brussels and arises from his reverence for the majestic rock formations found in his home country’s Cederberg region that date back thousands of years.

Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.

Age: 32

Occupation: Ceramicist and architect.

Instagram: @jan_ernst_ 

Hometown: Kroonstad, South Africa.

Studio location: Cape Town.

Describe what you make: The focus of my work is creating functional sculptural ceramic designs. The work takes form in lamps, candelabras, furniture, and vessels. 

The most important thing you’ve designed to date: The Womb Lamp 01 – Table Lamp. This was the starting point for an entire collection.

Describe the problem your work solves: Through my work, I try to create sculptural design pieces that evoke emotions, and are rooted in strong narratives of the country I live in and its landscapes. I think Western design is sometimes devoid of good stories and this is key to my designs. I also want ceramicists and potters to see that clay does not have to be expressed in a traditional sense. The material can be pushed and challenged into new forms that are exciting and challenge the rules of interior design.

Describe the project you are working on now: The Womb lighting collection that debuted at Collectible design fair. For this collection, I was inspired by the majestic rock formations found in the Cederberg region dating back thousands of years.

Walking these ancestral grounds prompts a feeling of reverence and mystique for the people who once inhabited the interleaving Stadsaal Caves [Townhall Caves]. Tremendous voids and cracks shaped by the natural elements created shelter for the first humans who settled in this region. I was fascinated and humbled to witness such signs of life depicted through intricate murals on the cave walls. This moment spent in the caves was a revelation for me on both a personal and artistic level, and a trigger for the new collection. The collection is made up of two table lamps, two wall sconces, and three pendants.

A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I will be moving to France for the summer (May–August) for an artist residency in Bordeaux hosted by Galerie Revel. During my time there I will create a body of work that will stem from a land art installation. This large-scale expression will be translated into ceramic wall sculptures (reliefs).

The idea is to find commonalities between the wine region of Bordeaux and Cape Town where I live. I will use my skills as an architect and interpret the landscape through topographic studies, volume, and space-defining elements. The result will be a series of sculptures that will be exhibited in Paris in September.

What you absolutely must have in your studio: Definitely music and good light. I find that these two things influence my mood a lot, so being able to control this makes such a difference in the way I experience my creative process. 

What you do when you’re not working: I spend time outdoors hiking in the forest or looking for inspiration on the beach or in the mountains. I also love to play the guitar and Ukulele.

Sources of creative envy: Antoni Gaudí, Voukenas Petrides, and JJ McDonald

The distraction you want to eliminate: Mindless scrolling on social media.

Concrete or marble? Marble.

High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.

Remember or forget? Forget.

Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.

Dark or light? Light.

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