In developing design De Witte views original thinking as a major drive. Design in itself is not what he aims for: more beautiful or more interesting products are. Or even just better products or designs that merely are more fun. De Witte gets inspired by pure forms, combined techniques and the unpredictable. He enjoys making the impossible coming true. His professional curiosity and perseverance have led to a number of remarkable and wayward designs.
At times inspiration presents itself unexpectedly, as it did for the big bubble, which was launched in 2013. While blowing bubbles with his three year old son De Witte got caught by the wondrous shapes and by the reflections of the surrounding within the bubbles themselves. The designer deployed the techniques of traditional glassblowing to shape an enormous glass bell of about a meter high. The wonder of the moment caught in a usable consumer product, every single piece unique.
The lamp won the First Prize as best product at the Dutch exhibition Design District Amsterdam 2013.
Furthermore the big bubble was shown in many national and international publications. Now the lamp is being distributed all over the world by the Belgian company Dark. Solely at request De Witte develops special versions of the big bubble.
Another design from 2013 is the light breeze, a hanging lamp that seems to be carried away by a mild wind. The lattice-work appears robust but actually is composed by thin layers of polyamide. De Witte decided to use the perfected technique of 3D-printing to produce the light breeze to assure that as little amounts of the valuable basic material as possible would be used.
Old, used moulds formed the basis for the sustainable series of vases “reconnect”, which the designer developed for the Dutch ceramics producer Cor Unum. With intent the interconnection between the different parts are shown. And again, by the numerous ways of combining, every vase gets its very own character.
The reconnect series transforms a forgotten Then in a distinct Now.
The versatility of De Witte is also shown by other designs, like the multi layered carpet (2010), a rug with digitalgraphic patterns. The passionate designer is at this very moment expanding his collection of original designs.
Products
2013 // the big bubble
lamp
2013 // light breeze
hanging lamp
2012 // reconnect series
series of vases /
anniversary collection for Cor Unum Ceramics, ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
2010 // multi layered carpet
rug
Prizes // nominations
2013 | Design District Amsterdam 2013, The Netherlands
First prize for the big bubble
2005 | Artemis, academy in higher education in Styling & Design,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
With honors. Graduating project on researching and directing universal aesthetics
Publications
Schöner Wohnen // magazine on interior design | Germany
Big Bubble
December 2013
Scandinavian Deko // magazine on interiordesign | Finland
Big Bubble
November 2013
Glansmagazine // Dutch magazine
Big Bubble
November 2013
NRC-bijlage // Dutch national newspaper | inlay
Light Breeze
October 2013
Eigen Huis & Interieur // magazine on interior design | The Netherlands
Big Bubble
August + September + October 2013
Elle Decoration // magazine on interior design | The Netherlands
Big Bubble
September 2013 + October 2013
Milk Magazine // cultmagazine | France
Big Bubble
September 2013
ASM magazine // cultplatform | Spanje
Big Bubble
September 2013
Volkskrant Magazine // Dutch national newspaper | inlay
Big Bubble
August 2013
Brabants Dagblad // Dutch regional newspaper | cover
Reconnect-series
August 2012
Exhibitions
Dutch Design Week (DDW)
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Big Bubble + Light Breeze
October 2013
Stedelijk Museum Den Bosch
’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
Reconnect-series
October 2013
Design District Amsterdam 2013
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Big Bubble + Light Breeze
June 2013
http://alexdewitte.nl/?author=1
