Flexible cearmics G3

A research of Bas Kools in collaboration with Mio Yamamoto (Textile designer).

Our collaboration originated out of shared interests in material opposites. A soft and hard material coming together as well in process as in result.

For this project we received a bursary of the Royal College of Art, called ‘Project–X–’.

Animals and people living together!!!
People and animals are living together for as long as we can remember. At this moment in big cities like London, and even in smaller towns, we see that people still like animals around them, the touch and feel and comfort they give as a companion. Unfortunately we dot not keep in mind these animals and what they need in the design of our living spaces and so it is almost seen as inhuman to own an animal in towns and cities like this.

We can not neglect the longing for animals around us, but we also can not have them in our current living environment. 17th century Japanese artist ‘Ito Jakuchu’ shows us animals that are like us, we can talk with them and they keep us company giving us comfort and protection. This is a really nice expression of the function animals have in our society, or rather had in our society.

Important in relation to Animals and People is: feeling, touching, material, living things, emotions…
Textiles – ceramics
Animals – people
Soft – hard
Japanese – Dutch

We are experimenting in making a series of animals that are around you or you even carry with you on your body. Pets that surround you and protect you, living next to you on your body and some hidden in your clothing on your head or hanging on your ear, based on drawings of ‘Ito Jakuchu’ where animals can talk and live with humans.

These animals will be based on a technique of using a cellulose sponge for casting and dipping ceramics in combination with textile. We design moulds that are the object and becomes another object. From soft to hard, from textile to ceramic, from animal to human!

We are not trying to create a substitute animal, but we are to communicate the feeling and the longing, the venerability that we are so afraid to show. The comfort the pleasure and the fun living things around us bring with them, in all its richness.