Dutch designer Michiel Cornelissen has just recently unveiled his latest jewellery collection for design label Soonsalon, also based in the Netherlands. The ‘Mesh Matryoshkas’ collection is a modern take on the famous icons of Russian folk art, and was just introduced at Maison + Objet in Paris and Ambiente in Frankfurt. The pieces are now available in stores and online.
Michiel’s take on the Matryoshka dolls, which he views as ‘beautiful and profound icons of Russian folk art, whose shape invokes a host of meanings through the metaphorical hosting of hidden layers — each layer being another level of revelation.’ The pieces are an intrinsic blend of design talent, colour and form — all enabled by 3D printing. And here is the key to this collection , as Michiel says: “With Mesh Matryoshkas for Soonsalon, I wanted to add another layer of intrigue: how did one doll get inside the other?” The external, intricate wire mesh of the outer doll allows visibility to the internal dolls — and the wearer can marvel at how 3D printing technology allowed for the creation of nested shapes like these.
Mesh Matryoshkas are available for purchase as necklaces in various sizes and colours, as well as earrings. The collection has just been introduced at Maison & Objet in Paris but they are already available in many design stores around the world, including DesignTorget in Sweden and Fleux, also in Paris.
Michiel explained the design process behind this collection, which took an alternative path to projects he has worked on before: “These are my first (public) products which were largely designed using the Grasshopper plug-in for the Rhino 3D modelling software. For this project it has allowed me to work with and control relatively complex patterns, as it’s a generative design software.”
The complexity of the pieces is self-evident, and therefore the only production method capable of meeting the criteria was 3D printing, to create the nested shapes directly, right at the moment of manufacturing.
Prices for these pieces start at €34.50.
About Michiel
Michiel completed his design engineering education at Delft University of Technology, which he says gave him a solid basis for creating design-based solutions. He later worked at Philips Design for over a decade and claims this was his secondary education —giving him the chance to work with, and learn from, a great number of exceptionally talented designers, many of whom have gone on to work at top spots in the design industry or start successful businesses of their own.
In his design studio, Michiel Cornelissen Ontwerp, Michiel combines work for clients with the creation of his own range of products, such as jewellery, homewares and electronics accessories. My client work includes product design, creative direction and strategic design.
His latest passion is digital manufacturing; technologies such as 3D printing that can manufacture complex products without the need for large investments. There are still many restrictions and limitations, but they are outweighed by the possibilities that are opening up. The creation of products is becoming accessible to almost anyone; unprecedented form factors can be achieved; and products are becoming as adaptable and customizable as software.
Source: Michiel Cornelissen and SoonSalon
