It’s unclear why Dutch industrial designer Hella Jongerius decided to title her first monograph—out January 31 from Phaidon Press—“Misfit.” While it’s true that, at times over the course of her two-decade career, Jongerius has been an underappreciated talent, she has also managed to put her touch on everything from high-end chairs (for Vitra) to Nike sneakers and Ikea vases. Most significant, she helped free industrial design from the strict, minimalist lines of modernism, reviving the desire for objects that feel handmade, like the Royal Tichelaar Makkum porcelain pieces that she purposely overfires in order to give them unique imperfections. Although her aesthetic can feel nostalgically decorative and almost craftsy, the thinking behind her work is undeniably in the now—what could be more modern than creating one-offs on an assembly line?
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- Art & Design
