Sikkens Prize 2017 for Hella Jongerius

“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.

The importance of colour

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.

A critical approach

Her 2011 project The Daylight Wheel is an exceptional example of her research of colour pigments and the connection between colour, fabric and light. 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.

Hella Jongerius about receiving the Sikkens Prize: “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.”