Hem X Gustav Winsth: Design on Acid
Acid Vase, by Gustav Winsth, is more than just a pretty face. The three smiley welded lines holding the aluminum pieces together, are carrying the smart feature of both keeping your flowers and water in place. Anodized in acid generating its striking lime color, Acid Vase sits on a terrazzo concrete foot, making it a sturdy showstopper to your space.
Curated by Arranging Things, Acid Vase comes in a hand-signed limited edition of 35, made exclusively for Hem.
Photography Martin Brusewitz
Did you have a specific inspiration for this design?
The smiley became too obvious to be ignored. I started off with the weald-beads in a closed line depicting a 2-dimensional silhouette of a vase. By separating the silhouette in the middle I wanted the user to be able to refill water without disturbing the bouquet. Just so happens the bowl became a mouth and the neck two eyes. There was just no going back after that… A happy function-based design coincidence :)
How do you design a piece like this?
I love welds! In trying to expose them and make them an aesthetic element as well as structural, they had to be in the center of the piece and not along the edges. That’s how the idea of joining two flat surfaces through welding and combining the inner part through laser-cut grooves came about. As I utilized welding, anodization, concrete pouring and terrazzo grinding in one product, the process was grueling, and could have taken forever without all the skilled workers within each manufacturing field.
What was challenging about this design?
The raw manufacturing. Welds heat the metall, making flat surfaces expand and skew. And anodizing does not like sharp inner corners as they trap air bubbles in the acid baths, leaving the corners untreated. Both of which the vase have in abundance, and without the engaged workers helping me to find solutions there would be no Acid Vase.
Where do you see the Acid Vase?
It’s an acidy green/yellow smiley face with flower hair. It will draw attention in any environment, and that’s what I want. For people to get caught by the playfulness and look closer at the craftsmanship. I’m all about loud objects. Acid Vase fits the bill.
