This year, the jury of the Dutch Design Awards has chosen Hella Jongerius as the recipient of the prestigious BNO Piet Zwart Award 2021.

This award not only recognises Jongerius's outstanding career - characterized by an unwavering commitment to research and experimentation with colors, materials, and textures - but also her influence on current and future generations of designers.

After studying at the Eindhoven Design Academy, Jongerius became known for her designs made of unusual materials, such as the 'Soft Urn' (pictured above), and a soft, flexible washbasin. In 1993, she founded her own studio, Jongeriuslab, now based in Berlin, where she lives and works. She has reinvented her own practice several times, and works with an internationally dispersed network of designers under her direction.

As an internationally renowned designer, Jongerius has worked with brands such as Vitra, Ikea, KLM, Danskina, Maharam and Artek. Her design has been exhibited in museums and galleries such as the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Modern Museum of Art (New York), the Design Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), Moss Gallery (New York) and Galerie kreo (Paris, London).

'Breathing Colour' at the Design Museum in 2017

'Misfits' at the Boijmans Museum in 2010

'Natura Design Magistra' at Galerie kreo in 2009

New works
at Galerie kreo

The ‘Diamond Vase’ and 'Facet Bottle' are made of porcelain - an impressive feat for objects of this size. The facetted surfaces are adorned with a hand-carved textured pattern, resulting in a striking combination.

The vivid colors are applied in bold, block-like forms, with new shades emerging in the areas where the layers of matte and shiny glaze overlap. This approach results in an engaging visual depth, further highlighting the exquisite craftsmanship of these pieces.