[The bottle vases]

Bottle vases are inspired by a collection of plastic trash from the river Maas in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. After reading about plastic soup**, Foekje Fleur started looking more carefully at the river running through her home town and found plastic waste that had been accumulating there since the 1960s. By creating durable porcelain copies of the material she finds, Foekje Fleur is spreading awareness of this growing problem.

For the bottle vase series, Foekje Fleur works together with Middle Kingdom, a company led by husband-wife team the Jias. They combine their love for Chinese history with their passion for traditional craft. In their Jingdezhen workshop, they give a contemporary voice to classic porcelain techniques. Inspired by history and other artistic disciplines, Middle Kingdom’s craftsmen remains faithful to the materials and their artistry.

[**What is plastic soup?]

An area in the North Pacific Ocean, also known as "the great pacific garbage patch", is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of plastics that have been trapped there by the circulating currents. Plastic waste drifts there from all over the world, after floating down rivers into seas. Plastics are not biodegradable; they only break down into smaller pieces called micro-plastics. These are extremely dangerous as they enter the food chain and threaten all kinds of species, including human beings.

[about foekje fleur]

After graduating in both design and fine arts, Foekje Fleur found her direction making objects that are functional and yet, give space for thought. At first sight, her attractive and colorful designs seem playful, but they are in fact inspired by serious subjects like caring for the environment and for animal rights.

It's for sure a product that would liven up any parts of your house!

We were first introduced to Foekje Fleur products by a friend who met the brand in Paris in 2019 during the September Maison et Objet. We immediately loved the vibrant colors and the story behind the brand and wanted to see them in person. In 2020, we travelled to Amsterdam for ShowUp and finally got to meet Foekje Fleur in person as well as the products. The products that we saw in our eyes was even better than through pictures. We love the idea behind the brand; they are not just creating beautiful and durable products but are also spreading awareness for the growing problem of plastic bottles being thrown away.