Sunday, July 21, 2013

5 minutes with Gidon Bing

Photograph by Nic Staveley for URBIS magazine's Gidon Bing story.


Perhaps best known for his large plywood artworks, Gidon Bing also uses those sculpting hands of his to craft beautiful ceramics. Using centuries-old techniques learnt from master craftsmen, Gidon forms crockery, lighting and vases. Products that are classy, understated... what I would call the 'strong, silent type'.

Choosing a Gidon Bing product means choosing something individually formed by the designer's own two hands; something genuinely one of its kind. Gidon Bing ceramics are available at The Flock and Everyday Needs, and a special collection is produced exclusively for Simon James Concept Store.

Images from The Selby



Gidon's studio - once a boat shed - is perched over Auckland's Hobson Bay

Gidon Bing Tea Cups available here

A colour palette that whispers where others shout.

Pitcher and bowl, available here

The Bing Pendant for NZ design collective Resident.  See the making-of video here.

Gidon Bing Pasta Bowl and new ceramic birdhouse, available here


5   M I N U T E S   W I T H   G I D O N   B I N G

What's your favourite part of a working day? 
Mostly it's the hands-on tactile and experimental stuff, like trying new methods for steam-bending wood or crazy science projects like mixing couscous and various fibres with clay to achieve porous surfaces, also love the occasional collaborative project.  

Tell us something delicious we should eat from a Gidon Bing pasta plate?  
I often use them for Shakshuka, a dish which is basically eggs, poached in a spicy fresh tomato sauce with loads of garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and tumeric... eaten with pita bread.

What are you working on at the moment? 
A couple of  frivolous and fun projects like flat-pack kitset mini modernist architectural models and some oversize and undersize wood block prints, as well as some more serious stuff including a collection of new ceramic, copper and bent plywood sculptural work.  

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become a designer?  
Not sure I'm in a position to be giving advice, but if pressed I'd say don’t take experts' opinions as gospel - treat them as guidelines only. Be bold, trust your instincts, persist... try it yourself if you can, and when you fail, try again. This invariably leads to innovation and discovery.  

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