Designers-in-Residence Program for 2025 Announced
Spotlight on the Designers of Pforzheim's 2025 Designers in Residence Program
Get ready to witness the creative brilliance of three exceptional designers chosen from over 400 applications worldwide! In a thrilling competition, fashion designer Melitta Baumeister, jewelry artist Jiro Kamata, and industrial designer Romin Heide selected Lotte Schoots from the Netherlands, Jacob Marks from the UK, and Zhipeng Wang from China for the Designers in Residence program 2025 at Pforzheim's EMMA creative center.
Dutch Designer Lotte Schoots:
Lotte Schoots, a Dutch product designer, dives headfirst into an often overlooked field - jewelry packaging. She plans to delve into the concept and techniques of jewelry box production, aiming to present fresh perspectives and redefine the role of packaging in the jewelry experience. "I'm eager to explore the relationship between jewelry and its packaging. Can packaging ever be more significant than the jewelry itself?" she pondered. Lotte also aims to analyze the differences between luxury and affordable jewelry packaging production methods. Her research will culminate in displaying her innovative works, showcasing her exploration using various techniques and materials.
British Designer Jacob Marks:
During his residency at "EMMA," Jacob Marks, a British industrial designer, will continue his quest to revive the use of pine resin, once a vital material in shipbuilding and other global industries. With its antibacterial, carbon-negative, water-resistant, and recyclable properties, pine resin stands out as an ideal material for our time. "Our planet faces numerous ecological challenges. Reviving pine resin is crucial as it represents a promising sustainable solution for the future," stressed Jacob Marks.
Chinese Designer Zhipeng Wang:
In an era of globalization and digitization, Chinese material culture and craftsmanship face challenges in preservation and innovation. Chinese jewelry artist, Zhipeng Wang investigates how to express his cross-cultural identities between China and Germany through contemporary jewelry practice. By exploring his cultural identity and designing jewelry, Zhipeng aims to engage in a cultural negotiation process that develops a new approach to contemporary jewelry through material innovation and craftsmanship.
As the head of the Creative Economy department at the Economic Development and Marketing Agency (WSP) in Pforzheim, Almut Benkert expresses her excitement about this global talent pool, stating, "Pforzheim's appeal to designers from around the world underscores our commitment to nurturing creativity and innovation. We can't wait to see how Lotte Schoots, Jacob Marks, and Zhipeng Wang implement their projects using the incredible possibilities provided by the EMMA creative center!"
Sources & Enrichment:- Overall: Revival of Pine Resin: History, Properties, and Modern Applications in Design - Historical Context - Properties of Pine Resin - Modern Applications in Design
- The manufacturing industry of jewelry packaging will see a creative evolution as Dutch designer Lotte Schoots delves into the techniques of jewelry box production, aiming to redefine the role of packaging in the jewelry experience in collaboration with the finance industry.
- Technology and sustainability intertwine as British industrial designer Jacob Marks seeks to revitalize the use of pine resin, a material with antibacterial, carbon-negative, water-resistant, and recyclable properties, in the fashion-and-beauty and lifestyle sectors.
- Cross-cultural identities collide and innovate in the realm of technology as Chinese jewelry artist Zhipeng Wang investigates how to express his identities between China and Germany through contemporary jewelry practice, creating a unique fusion of cultural aesthetics and craftsmanship in the manufacturing industry.
