My many walks at dusk have shown me these deep purple hues. It’s about transitions, the transformation from day to night. To let the eye search from the light and sink into the interior of this cylindrical vessel. To let the mind rest in the deep purple colour.

I want to make things for the contemplative mind, for those moments when you sink back into yourself. — Anni Albers

The Textile Syncope has a clear inspiration from textiles, and the kiln firing has transformed the piece into a narrative of vivid fragility. This is not about perfection but being at the limit of the material’s possibilities in search of materialising a vision into solid form. My focus is to explore the vanishing effect, where the colours dissolve from dark into whiteness. Inspired by the textiles of Anni Albers, I have developed a complex technique mixing colours in a graduated colour scheme, layering more than 50 shades of colour tones. Like patchwork, at each colour change, there is a new layer of porcelain. I work with systems and repetition, but my goal is not absolute perfection. I seek the small imperfections from the material and the process to give the geometric patterns life.

The work with the cylinder is circumstantial, and the pattern is created in the manufacturing process. I use a technique which consists of cutting porcelain clay boards into strips, which I then unify. The method reveals itself through the perception of surface structure, and the cylinders appeal to the tactile senses of the viewer.

photos: Erik Balle; Kirstine Mengel

About

Lotte Westphael, born in Denmark in 1965, was educated at Design School Kolding, Denmark (1988-1993), and at potteries in Japan. Westphael made her debut at the juried Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in Copenhagen in 2016. The same year, she received the HETSCH Medal of 1879 for fine craftsmanship. Since then, she has exhibited worldwide at venues including The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA), The Danish Cultural Institute in St. Petersburg, and the Skovgaard Museum, among others. She has participated in several biennales, including the Korean International Ceramic Biennale (KICB) in 2021 and the 5th Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa, Japan. She also exhibited at Blanc De Chine in 2022 and at The Cheongju Crafts Biennale in 2023. In Europe, she has been shortlisted for Ceramic Art Andenne, Belgium; the Biennale de Vallauris, France; the Porzellanbiennale in Meissen, Germany; and the European Prize of Applied Arts (2021 and 2024). In 2024, she was awarded the Prize of the ECA – European Crafts Alliance. Her work is held in the public collections of Designmuseum Denmark and CNAP, France, as well as in The Laurie Tisch Collection, USA, and several other private collections. Westphael has received several grants from The Danish Arts Foundation and a Grant of Appreciation from The Nationalbank’s Jubilee Foundation.

Westphael is represented by Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris, and has exhibited at Design Miami/Basel, PAD London, PAD Paris, and TEFAF Maastricht and New York.

Find out more: Website | @lottewestphael

Josep Safont’s work operates at the rich intersection of contemporary art, design, and craftsmanship. His practice is defined by the profound connection between his hands and his heart, using textiles as a primary language for expression. While grounded in traditional techniques, his process involves researching and reimagining unconventional materials, an exploration that is both technical and deeply conceptual. His creative method is uniquely organic; if the core concept is strong, like a tree trunk, the materialization of the piece is allowed to evolve and grow naturally, like branches extending in new directions. This intuitive approach imbues his work with a sense of life and spontaneity. Ultimately, Safont’s art invites people to stop for a second, to breathe, and to think for themselves, contributing a unique and thoughtful voice to contemporary textile art.

About

Josep Safont is a contemporary textile artist and craftsman based in Barcelona, noted for his capacity for innovation and experimentation. His work merges art with contemporary craftsmanship, exploring the expressive potential of fibers through both traditional and unconventional techniques. With a solid interdisciplinary background, Safont actively participates in the international art scene and has earned key awards in craft and design, including the National Craftsmanship Award of Catalonia and the Rising Talent Award from Maison&Objet (Paris). He continues to explore the creative possibilities of textiles, combining tradition and innovation to actively contribute to the landscape of contemporary textile art.

Find out more: @josep.safont