Pascale Naessens complements its successful Pure collection with a brand new dinnerware set. In terms of shape and design, this expanded dinnerware perfectly complements the nostalgic, nature-inspired Pure range. "The blue-purple color matches food improbably well," explains Pascale. "For me, food remains the most important starting point. I can see that food is already on the dinnerware even before I've made it."
During the first lockdown, Pascale lived in her creative bubble: her kitchen and her studio. The result was a new book and dinnerware. "I made the tableware for the dishes in my book Real Food, which I also made during the lockdown. Looking back, that was a very strange, but also a very productive period."
"It was already completely in my head. We had been on vacation shortly before and every time I went to sleep there I thought about which pieces I wanted to make, about the shapes and colors. By the time I started working on it in my studio, the entire collection was already completely in my head. I just had to make them." Although the look and feel of the new dinnerware is seamlessly consistent with the previous Pure collections, the azure blue color stands out. "That color goes incredibly well with food, even though blue is not an obvious color. I searched a long time for the perfect shade. This dinnerware carries the ideal mix of gray, blue and purple." So the full dinner service can be seen in the book "Real Food.
"I love objects that lift up everyday life," says Pascale Naessens, and that's exactly what this étagère does. Literally even. It lifts cakes, cookies, flower petals or berries to the next level, creating a visual focal point on the table. "I am fundamentally against using certain 'fancy' objects only for occasions. Why couldn't there be an étagère on the table every day?" An additional motivation to do so: the shape of the étagère perfectly matches the plates from the existing Pure dinnerware.
Rituals bring peace and relaxation. "And now let tea brewing be one of my favorite rituals," says Pascale Naessens. A beautiful ritual requires beautiful accessories, hence this handmade tea egg, an ideal mood setter for those who prefer the exceptional quality of loose tea. To end the scene in beauty, Pascale also provides the necessary jars to place the tea egg in after use.
"Traditionally, such small jugs are used to serve alcohol such as gin or vodka. I find it especially a beautiful object to leave on the table, even when not in use," explains Pascale Naessens, who loves to use the jug as a vase. "Even with just one flower, it's already a huge mood creator at the table."
When I arrived there 13 years ago, Serax was not yet working so much with ceramists. Roos van de Velde was one of the first, a very good ceramist and a real artist. I have seen the company grow and in the meantime, Serax is working with top national and international ceramists/designers such as Fréderick Gautier, Antonie Sciortino, Anne Demeulemeester, Marie Michielssen ... and top culinary chefs such as Sergio Herman and Ottolenghi. I feel particularly honored in their company.
Serax has also become very important as an international player, they sell all over the world. As a result, I regularly get forwarded photos from Belgians abroad who let me know that they have dined on my ceramics in Bali, Maldives, China, Poland, ...
