Laura Pregger: she’s just our cup of tea

Interview with Laura Pregger, class of ’84, the Basel-based designer recently awarded at the design trade show Blickfang 2010. Laura’s production really stands out from others: she works with ceramic combining, altering and mixing shapes and function.Results are surprisingly new: serial one-offs, as she uses to define them.

P Laura, first of all Polkadot wants to know: what’s the first thing that comes up in your mind, when speaking of porcelain cups? L Old ladies sipping tea, with no doubt!

P Ceramic: why did you decide to use this material? L I love this white, natural material full of contrast, so strong and breakable at the same time. I am impressed of the long tradition and of the durability.If you are working with porcelain, you got only one chance: there’s no possibility to hide any mistake. You have to think and act very concentrated. I like this challenge of winning or losing everything.

P Could you describe us your creative space? L Our workshop is placed in an old perfume factory. I share the space and rooms with three other textile and jewellery designers (the Cooperation//Standard team). There I got a hugh stock of old and new porcelain produced industrially, different machines -sandblasting-cabin, a diamond saw, an oven, a grinding machine and so on. I like to play with these forms from different decades. To mix them up and to ignore what they had been for.

P Three adjectives that define your work. L Experimental, oppositional, ironical.

Laura is currently working on a new limited edition: it will be shown in spring 2011, for sure in Berlin, Basel and Zurich and maybe Milan too. Check out her website.

Thank you, Laura!

(all images are courtesy of Laura Pregger)