Porcelain Dawn

The design is a table made from an old excavated heating oil tank that had been buried underground for years. Instead of viewing this object as waste, Middernacht & Alexander see it as the bearer of a story. The metal, the encrusted tar residue and the earth attached to it are carefully preserved and not camouflaged. Using multiple layers of epoxy, they afford this raw material peace, without purifying or concealing it.

This creates a piece of furniture that is not only functional, but also has meaning. Each piece is handmade and unique: the structures, colours and scars of the material remain visible and as a result, none of the pieces can be reproduced. It is design that reveals the traces of time, pollution and transformation - a poetic object that invites reflection.

The jury on Porcelain Dawn:

The scars of the polluting past are assigned a new place. Old heating oil tanks are transformed into furniture, on which a new skin is applied layer by layer. Staining and the application of epoxy coatings have been approached as a craft. The combination of the rusty fuel tanks and the shiny layers produce a fascinating texture. It results in richly coloured attractive objects with a radical new take on ‘the Craft’.

What does this award mean to you?

This award is an honour for us because it recognises craftsmanship not only as a technique, but also as a way of thinking. Porcelain Dawn is about preservation rather than concealment, about transformation without purification.

The fact that this work is allocated a place within the Henry van de Velde Awards - and specifically within Crafts by Bokrijk - feels like recognition of a new form of craft: one that embraces the imperfect, and finds beauty and meaning in it. Porcelain Dawn shows that even polluted materials, with their traces of time and use, can develop into something valuable. This recognition gives us the strength to continue that dialogue between decay and renewal, and to continue to believe in a future in which care and poetry are as important as form and function.

How did the idea for this project come about?

The idea for Porcelain Dawn arose from a fascination with what is left behind - with materials that have lost their function but still have a story to tell. When we found an old, underground heating oil tank, we didn’t just see waste, but a silent witness of time and use.

Instead of cleaning or concealing the metal, we wanted to preserve it as it was - with its tar, earth and scars. We asked ourselves: can we find beauty in pollution, and demonstrate care for something that is usually discarded?

Thus grew the idea of transforming the tank into a table: an object that brings people together again, built on the layers of its past. It became an exercise in looking back, preserving and re-affording meaning.

What makes your project so special?

Our project is special because it brings together craftsmanship and experimentation in a way that is rare. We use epoxy not to hide anything, but to preserve it - layer by layer, tailored to the whimsicality of the surface.

Each piece requires technical precision, patience and intuition. It is a form of design that aims not for mass production, but for care. In this sense, Porcelain Dawn is a plea for a new kind of craftsmanship: that of preservation rather than renewal.

How does it contribute to a better world?

In a world revolving around renewal and consumption, Porcelain Dawn wants to demonstrate a different pace. By embracing rather than concealing pollution, the work raises questions about our relationship with waste, beauty and responsibility. It is a small gesture, but a reminder that change begins with care - with a willingness to preserve rather than replace. Thus, this project contributes to a mental shift rather than mass production: from waste to appreciation. That requires craftsmanship, but also respect: respect for materials, for labour, for time.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

We keep creating, keep exploring. Each unique piece with its own layering and history. For us, Porcelain Dawn is a living study, not an end point. Each new work is a conversation we want to continue. We hope to create a series that continues to evolve but stays true to the same idea, craft and respect for time.