Young designers working for a better world

Charlotte Jonckheer

Designer

Charlotte Jonckheer (born in 1988) is a Belgian designer, living and working in Antwerp. Charlotte Jonckheer conscientiously unfolds a design practice where every creation resonates a personal encounter, emotion or memory – an idiosyncratic understructure inspiring her to formulate the objects, surfaces and forms which will then allow her to share those unique and private moments outside of their initial positions in time and space. Through her design process – and led by her devotion to research and material study – Charlotte Jonckheer embeds her original incentives in a network of cultural and historical associations, both preceding and defining the materiality and aesthetics. Her works always introduce an interaction, either emotional, physical or circumstantial. She strives for intriguing and affecting designs which reinforce the relationship between user and object and could become the heirlooms for future generations: cherished and dear. Charlotte Jonckheer studied at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, Dpt. Man and Well Being; under the guidance of Ilse Crawford, Aldo Bakker and studio Formafantasma. She focusses on products for the interior, on design concepts and material development. Her works are realized both as collectible design and in serial production. Charlotte works on self-initiated and commissioned projects and collaborates with studios, companies and industries – (a.o) a collaboration with Nel Verbeke and Verilin (Triptych on Insomnia) and the Chaud Side Table Series in collaboration with Hullebush Natural Stones. Her works have been shown at the Palais des Beaux-arts Lille (Fr), Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven (NL), during the design fairs of Turin and Milan and as part of the Dutch Design Week and Collectible Brussels. She was a finalist for ‘Vitrine pour un designer’. In 2018, Charlotte was one of the founders of BRUT, a collective of emerging, Belgian designers awarded with the Henry Van De Velde Gold Award 2019 (Young Talent Award). Together, they presented their designs and settings at Bozar Brussels (BE), Kanal Centre Pompidou (BE), Salone Del Mobile (IT) and Sint Vincents Antwerp (BE).

Clara Hardy

Director & Founder of Sericyne

Lucile Viaud

Designer

Graduated from the Ecole Boulle, artist-researcher at the Laboratoire Verres & Céramiques of the Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Lucile Viaud explores the intimate link between landscape and material. Using primitive techniques of manufacturing and shaping glass, she works on the transformation of local co-products into natural glasses, defending the idea that “any material left over may prove to be exceptional”. Throughout her projects, she highlights the influence of the origin of her raw materials on the glass obtained. Resident of the Ateliers de Paris from 2016 to 2018, she founded the Atelier Lucile Viaud and created her Ostraco ® brand, labeled by the Design Observer. With her first «sea glass», Glaz, she develops many pieces, notably for the star Hugo Roellinger or even sculptures that integrate the collection of micro-algae from the University of Nantes. In 2019, she participated in Soulages Century in duo with Antonin Pons Braley with a monumental work in «Verre de Rouergue»; a ephemeral glass for the Museum of Fine Arts of the city of Rodez. The duo also installed the new stained glass windows at the Chapelle Saint-Roch in Montarnal. Winner of the Design Émergent des Grands prix de la ville de Paris 2018, Lucile Viaud works between arts and sciences to raise awareness through projects of different sizes to the preservation of our natural resources and our heritage.

Clara Le Fort

Journalist

A writer for French and international publications (Les Echos WE, Le Point, ELLE, ELLE DECO, Bllnr), Clara Le Fort deals with subjects related to luxury, innovation and sustainable development. She also works with brands on strategic matters, as a design director. In addition, she has authored five books, published by Gestalten, and has written the Louis Vuitton City Guide for Sydney, Istanbul, Copenhagen and Arles.