In the Fall of 2015, I spent 3 months in Kathmandu, Nepal, working at the Association for Craft Producers. During this time I was tasked with designing products that could be made by artisans in rural regions of the country but sold in more upscale housewares distributors in America (namely West Elm). However, there was an ongoing embargo on fuel, food, and other items, which not only made it difficult for locals to cook food safely, receive proper medical care, and go about their daily business, but also forced ACP to operate under many constraints. There were limitations on what kind of items were possible to be made at this time and many of my products were designed around wasting as little energy and material as possible.
During these times, all ceramics could only be fired once--glaze firing must heat the kiln up to a much higher degree than just plain ol' terra cotta firing. However ACP was looking to expand their stock of garden items. I designed a simple and elegant solution.
These hand-thrown tera cotta planters are cut at the same angle as a cohesive family, while when they are in the garden can create a dynamic form that sets them apart from planters available on the market. They are easy to pack and ship and will look great on display in store as well as in the garden.