Brimstone

Spring 2021

Photography: Jihun Kang

During the summers of my junior and senior year in college, I spent the summers on the island of Vinalhaven, Maine. It was my first time on the ocean and I would spend countless hours lounging on the Island of Brimstone. This tea set was inspired by the soft smooth pebbles that lined the shores of the beach. The ocean’s current would slide these rocks along the shore till they were smooth, perfect, forms. 

The form of the teapot was influenced by a large stout pebble that I had picked up on the shore. I wanted to replicate the organic nature of the stone so I decided to create an asymmetrical pot. In order to maintain the pebble-like nature of the teapot, the lid and spout were kept as minimal as possible. The handle was created out of reed as a nod to the driftwood found on the beach. 

Delicate convex cups are a representation of the little stone peebles that have rolled along the beach. They were also created in a similar manner to a Pratt Institute Industrial Design 3D problem. A fragment problem served as the technical support. I first lumped clay in a general ball shape and left it till leather hard. I then sliced the tops off and removed the clay from the interior of the forms.