About
Lotte de Raadt
In my work as a designer, I specialize in developing sustainable ceramic products, making conscious choices at every step of the process.
My designs are minimalistic and timeless, made from raw, locally sourced materials. They explore the balance between human needs and respect for Mother Earth.
Alongside this, I engage in in-depth ceramic research, particularly into the use of locally collected (residual) minerals. These materials are gathered in the areas surrounding my workshops, both in Eindhoven (NL) and, more recently, near my new home in Fågelsjö, Sweden.
I started my ceramic design studio in 2010 in Eindhoven directly after graduation at the Design Academy Eindhoven.
Some highlights throughout the years:
- The Tap Water Carafe was the first product produced in my ceramics studio in Eindhoven.
- A collaboration with Vij5 (an Eindhoven based design agency) was the start of scaling up the production of the Tap Water Carafe. Later on other ceramics collections were added to their collection.
- In 2018, I initiated the Oer project in Eindhoven. Within the Oer project Lotte de Raadt, Kirstie van Noort & Jetske Visser investigate various applications of local and natural (residual) materials for ceramic products.
- In 2019 I left the Netherlands to work for one year in Rwanda for Super Local and Mass design group in Kigali. Together with other talented designers I worked on the BUGESERA Collection, 75 furniture and fixture products for the Rwanda Institute of Conservation Agriculture.
- A collaboration with Koninklijke Tichelaar for scaling up the production of Oer tiles happened in 2020. 10.000 Oer tiles were produced for a new pump building of Brabant Water in Eindhoven.
- This research continued in 2022 with an Artist in residence at Koninklijke Tichelaar in Makkum. Together with Kirstie van Noort we developed new possibilities for the residual iron sludge in tiles.
- In 2023 my family and I bought a summerhouse in Sweden. Working and living at the same place in a quiet forest village was something she dreamed of. In Fågelsjö they found their home and built up the ceramics workshop.
Ceramic studio in Fågelsjö (Sweden)
In 2023 we bought a house and ceramic studio in the village of Fågelsjö, Gävleborgs län. The property includes a ceramic kiln previously used by the former owner, ceramic artist Frank Larsen.
Fågelsjö is well known for its UNESCO World Heritage site and museum, Bortom Åa, which attracts around 10,000 visitors each summer. The village can be described as the cultural center of Orsa Finnmark.
Closely connected to Bortom Åa is a wide range of cultural activities, including courses in traditional handicraft techniques, book publishing, seminars, and excursions to nearby natural and cultural sites.
The Inlandsbanan train stops daily in Fågelsjö, and visitors can stay at the local guesthouse, Gästis, or enjoy lunch or fika at the village café.
The surrounding region is also known for its natural attractions, such as Hamra National Park and Börningsbergets Skogsmuseum.
Local and natural resources
Iron oxides
Fågelsjö has a rich tradition of iron production, starting in the 15th century. The raw material was sediments from lakes in the region, ”sjömalm” or ground based sediments “myrmalm”.
You still find an abundance of both sjömalm and myrmalm in the region and it has been an obvious material for me to harvest, explore and use in my work, thereby connection to my ongoing work as well as to the village and it’s history.
Wild Clay
Traveling through the landscape of Hälsingland, you can find several locations where natural clay occurs. They were deposited during the last ice age, 10.000 years ago, when glaciers transported large amounts of minerals. Some consist of raw clay minerals mixed with stones, sands and organics. Others are pure clay minerals. I have been gathering and researching these local, raw clay minerals and their properties in ceramics.
