Enabled

(2022)

My initial research looked into visual impairment and blindness. Existing tableware for blind people either uses braille (which not all blind people can read) or are purely functional aids - there is no beauty in these objects. This sparked my idea: instead of relying on something being just aesthetically pleasing, why not make it texturally pleasing too? I decided on applying this approach to a salt and pepper shaker set because existing pairs also usually have no textural difference to indicate which is which.

Through the development stage, I tried experimenting with adding texture at different stages of the slipcasting process: on the master model, on greenware and with glazing.

I settled on making a set that felt like fine salt and peppercorns. By testing different glaze recipes and at different thicknesses, I found ways of making the 2 shakers’ textures. Alongside this, the tapered bottle shape prevents the shakers from toppling over and the colour contrast helps people with light perception to locate them. I wanted these objects to be functional and pleasing for a blind person to use but also beautiful to an able-bodied person who may not need tactile markers.

I won the Anna Maria Desogus Memorial Prize (as a 2nd year) for this project.