ceramic

How to get dust on your plate?

Different techniques of harvesting the settled pollution, wet and dry. When only a thin layer of pollution is settled the material is collected with a soapy water. After sinking and drying it is used as a powder. However bigger amounts can be collected with the dry technique. A special design harvest tool, a biodegradable card, helps in scraping the pollution of the surface. Locations for harvesting are along roads in the city with intense traffic, to collect exhaust and non-exhaust (like break wear) related particles. Best are places covered for rain and wind, where settled dust can remain for decades.

How does it turn into a glaze?

The powder is used for the glaze, only a transparent glaze is used as a medium, there are no additives, colours used. The different materials in the fine dust, like sand, iron particles determine the colour. These materials are commonly used by ceramist, however never in this curious melange.

Is it safe?

As the typical Delfts Blue is created with the toxic cobalt oxide, it is safe to use after it is fired at high temperatures. The Smogware glaze has been tested by TNO and TCKI and the air pollution is safe for use when it is a glaze on the tableware.

Craftmanship

In this video you see the whole process from collecting the dust to drinking a coffee out of the cup. From‘dust to design’. It takes 82 hours. “Two whole weeks!” As Core van der Hoeven who helped with this video mentioned.  Thanks Core!