Experimentations in crystal form-making with Saint–Louis

From September 2022 to January 2023, seven students from the BA studio worked on the topic 'the mould'. The unique collaboration began with meetings between Design Academy Eindhoven, the creative team of Saint-Louis, and Thinking Hands leader and designer Kiki van Eijk, who has collaborated with the company for many years.

Students were challenged to understand the production process, design within the material's restrictions, and communicate their ideas to master blowers.

The collaboration gave the Saint-Louis design team and glass-blowing masters the opportunity to think 'out of the box', re-experiment with the material and rethink their production process through the eyes of young designers.

"The collaboration with Saint-Louis gave a critical insight for our students into the real world of fabrication on a very high level," explained Kiki van Eijk. "The process at the factory also proved that you can't plan everything in the mind, but that surprises arise by the hands. This is really 'Thinking Hands'."

"Partnerships with schools always revive and grow young again," added Anne L'Homme, creative director at Saint-Louis. "The collaboration with Kiki and her students' teams was astonishing. We could feel the powerful synergy between artisans and students."

The collaboration was divided into four steps:

Learn and Experiment The first lessons focused on understanding what a mould is, what it's for and the methods available to create a mould.

Work with and for Saint-Louis Part of the collaboration was a two-day workshop at the Saint–-Louis glass-blowing factory in France, which took place from 25 to 27 September 2022. On the first day, the students learned about the history and heritage of Saint-Louis by visiting the company's museum and factory. On the second day, the students learned more about specific techniques around the production of crystal glass, including hot and cold methods, pottery, making paperweights, and lighting.

Create a mould After learning about the possibilities and techniques used by Saint-Louis in mould-making for glass, the students had to create their mould. What other materials and techniques could create new and inspiring glass objects? This process was reviewed by the creative team of Saint-Louis, with their feedback helping students to develop their work further.

Create a crystal mould. The final step of each student's process was to design, create and present the final crystal object, demonstrating their knowledge, experimentation, and appreciation of the craft. In this final stage, the students returned to France to have their designs made with master glass blowers.

Have a look at the student publication here.