Mise en place is a French culinary term that translates literally to “put in place”. As a contemporary craftsman I have always been in search of my own place, working towards a sense of how my work and by extension how I can fit into the greater workings of the world. Home design and décor have always interested me. I strive to create objects that fully envelope the concepts behind functionality as well as aesthetic integrity. I continue to postulate this question to myself:

“How can functional pottery be as utilitarian as possible while still providing a great sense of aesthetic pleasure?”

Storage of handmade dishes has always been a challenge. How does a collection of useful objects develop purpose when not when not being used for its primary function? Through experimentation and careful consideration, what secondary purpose might arise? I have chosen to approach storage in order to develop this secondary purpose, striving to create an element of elegance in the relationship between useful objects as they are stacked, overlapped, balanced, and juxtaposed.  Mise en place is about putting things in their place, both when in use as well as in storage.

I believe that industrial design and craft go hand in hand; one cannot survive without the other. In my studio practice I aim to create a viable union between design and craft.