Nathalie Van der Massen and Karen Verlinden like to blur the line between art and design. The Belgium-based textile designer and ceramic artist—who just launched a debut collaboration—share a fascination with the tactile materials and sculptural properties of their respective crafts. “Both mediums have their own set of rules and restrictions that influence the design process,” Van der Massen tells Business of Home. “[We’re] exploring the ways ceramics and textiles can interact and inform each other.”
As a young adult, Van der Massen earned a master’s degree in graphic design at Sint Lucas in Antwerp, before falling in love with textiles while working for the renowned Textile Museum in the Netherlands. After earning a second postgraduate degree in textile design from the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels, she was commissioned by the Flanders Architecture Institute to design an installation for the De Singel arts center in Antwerp based on the archives of interior architects Claire Bataille and Paul Ibens. “My research ignited a spark of interest in me that has since evolved into a lifelong pursuit,” she says.
Van der Massen and Verlinden began showing their own bespoke pieces in galleries throughout Belgium, and became friends after participating in several group exhibitions together. “Our work was often displayed together, enhancing each other's presence,” Van der Massen says. “While working on an exhibition called ‘Redroom,’ we discovered a perfect match between Karen’s signature Ottigé Red finish and a blood red linen weave I’d created.”
This kismet prompted the duo to start hosting joint creative workshops at Van der Massen’s Antwerp studio, where they quickly discovered the similarities between their textile- and ceramic-making processes. “Both disciplines emphasize tactility and interaction with light,” says Verlinden.
For Verlinden, crafting ceramics requires a meticulous process of planning, testing, and refining. “It starts with a vision that considers the shape, the clay type, and the timing of sculpting as the material dries,” she explains. “Glazing adds another layer of complexity, as different recipes can react in unpredictable ways, but the most crucial step is firing, where temperature and kiln atmosphere define the final result—it’s a constant cycle of experimentation, with each piece taking around four weeks to complete.”
Van der Massen’s process can prove equally exacting, involving a diligent balance of traditional and contemporary weaving techniques. “I have to move back and forth between analog and heritage handicraft techniques—as well as digital and industrial methods—before ultimately hand-finishing each piece,” she says.
In March, the pair unveiled Folded Echoes, a new shoppable collaborative series featuring 17 handmade mixed-media pieces—including a low-lying, stacked block–like ceramic coffee table and a room-dividing screen woven with linen and paper yarns—in an exhibition at the Collectible fair in Brussels. Designs from the launch can be purchased through the artists’ websites. “The collection is inspired by rhythm, repetition and minimalism,” says Verlinden. “Each piece examines the tension between rigidity and fluidity, and the ways structure and void interact within a spatial composition.”
Though their work often overlaps, the differences are also a source of inspiration for the artists. “We like to shift the frame of thought and view ceramics as a flexible, fluid material while considering the sculptural qualities of textiles,” says Van der Massen. “Like textiles, ceramics have the potential to bring a soft, organic layer to an interior.”
