When designing Skafos, I was inspired by the large oil and water jars in Greece, which are ribbed to provide strength and to keep the surfaces cool.
With its incredible history, and unique and random colour and texture, terracotta has always appealed to me. Working with any new material is a challenge and, in this case, design was imperative to create a product that was not only practical but also aesthetically appealing. This was the first time I’d worked with terracotta and it has inspired me to explore further possibilities for it in my designs.
Seeing the piece for the first time was a surprise as I had no idea what the surface colour and texture would be like. The discoloured, random shades were what appealed to me most.
While these pieces are contemporary, the entire process from sketch to completion was done using traditional methods, which is something I hope people will appreciate.
Chris Connell is an award-winning interior, architectural and furniture designer based in Melbourne. Chris has a reputation for elegantly shaping residential and commercial interiors while also manufacturing furniture and objects, many held in permanent collections or art institutions across the world. Striving for simplicity through clean lines and honest use of materials, Chris’s design work is known for its restraint and attention to detail. In 1995 his Pepe chair was included in the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of modern Art (MoMA) and in 2017 in the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).