Hanna Dís Whitehead

CumLaude

Department: Man and Living
Website: www.hannadiswhitehead.com

Dialogue

When it comes to design, the handle is a crucial element in determining a product’s function and identity. “Two handles mean something is used as a pan, whereas using only one handle will turn it into a pitcher,” explains Hanna Dís Whitehead. Fascinated by this phenomenon, she embarked on an exploration to get to grips with this most humble of design elements. In her Dialogue series of ceramics, she uses stacked moulds to show how the same recurring ceramic shape used in different ways can communicate different things to the user. And so, she opens the door to a new discourse between the designer and the consumer.