Clay printer research

Material research of Groninger clay and 3D printing

This project is in progress. In collaboration with House of Design and a host of other designers I am doing research into locally sourced, sustainable materials. I am working with 3d printing techniques and Groninger clay to design products that tell the story of the Wadden sea.

The use of a 3D clay printer unites 2 worlds. The craft of the ceramist, but also the modern craft with 3D software and printer technology. These worlds are very different and therefore do not fit together very well at first. The conflict that arises creates many interesting opportunities to bring the two worlds together and to make use of the qualities of both. For example, the precision of 3D printing, in which the clay never behaves exactly as you would like it to, so there is the chance that small errors create a whole new aesthetic that would otherwise be impossible..

Type: Research, material, product
Partners: House of Design, De Jonge Onderzoekers

Reproduction of a 3D scanned drinking cup 3300-3000 BC
Found at Hunebed D28
Original file
Photography by Janna Bathoorn