the history and the region even more graphic, the designers rebuilt
a map of the entire Noordoostpolder using the multicolored tiles
they made from each area.
To celebrate the project’s completion, Sterk and van Ryswyck
organized a lunch in the middle of a field, with cubes of hay for ta-
bles and fruit crate chairs. Designer friends supplied the drinks, and
the farmers brought food made from their land. “It was a super
experience bringing together these two worlds, design and farm-
ing, that are so often isolated,” says van Ryswyck. “One farmer
said, ‘When you first came, I didn’t believe anything could come
of it. People have come before, and we’d never hear from them
again. But this is showing me that I am very special.’”
As the Polderceramics project progressed, Atelier NL’s previ-
ous exploration of Dutch clay was also evolving. “In 2008, Mr.
Tichelaar [of Royal Tichelaar Makkum], who had seen our proj-
ect from school, came to us and asked, ‘What is your dream?”’
recalls van
Ryswyck,
“And we said that our dream is to produce
something beautiful and useful out of the natural clay. And he
said, "This is my dream also!’”
“O f course, 60 years ago, there were clay factories all over the
Netherlands,” explains Sterk, “extracting local clay and working
with it, but now they are the only ones capable of this.” The oldest
company in the Netherlands, Royal Tichelaar not only produces
traditional ceramics, but also fosters creative collaborations with
contemporary figures like Jurgen Bey and Hellajongerius. Under
the stewardship of Jan Tichelaar, it has become something of an
innovative laboratory for handcrafted custom products, somewhat
akin to the American textile company Maharam. Working with
Sterk and van Ryswyck, Tichelaar selected six regional clays, for-
mulated a specific protective glaze for each type, and invested in
a new machine to process it. “It was very labor-intensive, as they
must clean the machine each time so the clays do not cross-contami-
nate,” explains Sterk. Ranging in color from clotted cream to deep-
est oxblood, each plate, bowl, and cup is stamped with the location
and name of the river or sea in Holland that is the source for the
clay, as well as for the dominant minerals. With Clay Service now
available for sale on the company’s website, Royal Tichelaar is
working with Atelier n l on a production line of selected Polder-
ceramics, to be available soon.
“The funny thing is, we started out wanting to help craftspeople
in other countries, “ van Ryswyck says. “And now, with the Clay
Service and Polderceramics, we’re actually supporting crafts right
here in Holland. It’s a romantic idea, but also a reality. It makes us
very happy.”
Deborah Bishop, based in San Francisco, is a
Dwell
contributing editor.
+
ateliernl.com
“We wanted to make tableware so that the vegetables
prepared for dinner could be served from vessels made from
the soil they came out of.”—Lonny van Ryswyck
Left: The project’s
completion was cele-
brated with an al fresco
luncheon, with local
crops served atop hay
tables and fruit crates
for chairs. The farmers
brought the food and
designers provided
the libations.
Opposite: The curving
blue feet of this straw-
berry bowl were bor-
rowed from traditional
ceramics in the Royal
Tichelaar Museum
Makkum line, giving
the simple dish a
timeless quality that’s
at once historical and
modern.
054 american craft june/julyio
www.WorldMags.net & www.Journal-Plaza.net
