Introducing Hella Jongerius

Designer Hella Jongerius received the Sikkens Prize in 2017 for the central use of colour in her work. In this short documentary, we meet Jongerius in her studio in Berlin, where she has worked since 2009. A tour of her studio offers us an intimate look at Jongerius and her vision, as well as a colourful peek behind the scenes.
Through her product design, Hella Jongerius (1963, De Meern) has cemented a leading position in the international design community. Her work, combining textiles, ceramics and furniture, brings together the classical and the contemporary, the latest in technological innovation as well as traditional craftsmanship. By adding traditional elements to industrial production processes, she aims to create products with personality. Jongerius consistently emphasizes the importance of colour and surface structures in contemporary design. In 2012, she joined Danskina (rugs) as an art director, and she has been an art director for colours and materials at Basel-based company Vitra since 2007. Her work was exhibited in various museums in the Netherlands and abroad, ao Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. This summer the new Design Museum London will open the solo exhibition Breathing Colour.
“Hella Jongerius’ work puts colour center stage. Never one to folllow commercial trends, she has developed a use of colour that is uniquely her own. Jongerius has been researching colour pigments and the connection between colour, fabric and light for years. Her 2011 project The Daylight Wheel is a exceptional example. Through her publications, Jongerius encourages a critical approach towards design practice. Beyond the New - A Search for Ideals in Design (2015), the manifesto she wrote together with Louise Schouwenberg, has become a source of inspiration for designers, promotors and students all over the world.” - Board of the Sikkens Foundation
Hella Jongerius: “Being awarded this prize is a great honor. It definitely encourages me to continue my ongoing research on colours, materials and fabrics, as well as working on enhancing the haptic qualities of the everyday objects that surround us.”
Film by Mals Media, commissioned by Sikkens Foundation.