Reimagining Tradition: KPM x Eike König

An internationally recognised German design artist and founder of Berlin creative collective HORT, Eike König makes use of typographical, pop art and contemporary techniques to provoke. Celebrated for its conceptual, political, emotional and visual approach, König believes that “something can be incredibly poetic but also aggressive at the same time”, and he is “always looking for a moment that allows for contradictions to be read in the broadest possible way.” Rather than producing answers, König’s work triggers discourse. 

For König, “working with words is always like playing with a kind of reality, or even an unreality, that we feel.” While his usual work takes the form of a print or page, the artist’s latest canvas is porcelain, in a collaboration with Berlin-based porcelain manufacturer KPM. With KPM’s expertise in traditional porcelain artistry combined with König’s provoking statements, they created two limited-edition To-Go cups; one that took inspiration from the historical KPM “Prinzessinnengruppe” (Pair of Princesses Sculpture), the other incorporating the artist’s typical style through the motif ‘EPIC FAIL’. Both are available to buy from 6pm on Thursday 24th November for 72 hours only.

During a tour of KPM’s manufactury in Charlottenburg, SLEEK spoke to the German artist about typography, memories, porcelain and the importance of a child-like curiosity in creativity.

SLEEK: In your life and work, you want to challenge structures. You don’t accept systems, instead you look around and think in terms of possibilities. How did you see this collaboration with KPM as a possibility for you?

Eike König: Since the collaboration was instigated by KPM, I saw it as an opportunity to learn. The “Prinzessinnengruppe” or, as I like to call it, The Sister Sculpture, touched me with its form and its history. I personally found it interesting to contribute something to this story, to somehow write myself in. 

S: Do you have any memories/feelings connected to porcelain? 

Eike König: Not really. I only remember the visits to my grandparents. Eating together at the table was always connected with an uncomfortable silence and the hint that we should handle the porcelain with care. There were certain sets for special events. However, I felt it was more of a contrived situation in which I had to perform my good education.

A more current situation was the following. For our house that we are building at the moment, my friend was planning to make all the eating vessels individually out of ceramics. My mother told me that she hates ceramics and only uses porcelain… a more detailed question on my part about the reason was met with silence.

S: In your artistic practice, you deal with the spatialization of language through typography. What is the significance of the background or the surface in your work? How did the porcelain play into this?

EK: I call my paintings ‘analogue renderings’. The canvas itself is the wireframe object, with the modelling clay I give the first surface the gesture of an apparent painting – brush, spatula – which is then painted with a high gloss varnish. This is the first mapping on the object. After that comes the actual motif, which for me is disposable. The motif itself takes over the painterly surface, as if I were multiplying it in Photoshop. In doing so, I try to make it as accurate as possible by hand, so that it almost looks digital or industrially printed. It’s only in the detail noticeable that the motif has flaws. 

This is similar to the To-Go mugs. The motif is actually mapped onto it and takes over the smooth surface of the porcelain. The only difference is the shape and the distortion.

S: What were your ideas for the pieces?

EK: When looking at the “Prinzessinnengruppe” sculpture, I was particularly struck by the back, because the bond between the two princesses can be seen in a very special way. Most of the time I work with type, but there is also a series in my work in which I use only the capital I in Helvetica to copy motifs from pop or high culture whose form is anchored in our collective memory. The font size, on the other hand, does not allow for a fine transfer and the result is a very raw and angular form. Working with this technique in the context of such a perfect porcelain piece, I wanted to explore how much you can abstract form, to see if the original form could still be readable or recognisable.  

The second piece incorporates the motif EPIC FAIL. On the one hand, it’s a reference to our digital times, but on the other it is a kind of commentary on how one would react today to the ghosting of the physical details of the “Prinzessinnengruppe” sculpture. 

S: In 1994, you founded HORT, a free-space for creativity where you can play, learn, discover and experiment. It was inspired by the free spirit and curiosity of children. Did you approach this collaboration with a child-like curiosity? How did it affect the process?

EK: At such moments I feel a deep fascination for knowledge, craftsmanship and artistry. The interplay of material, technique and human beings. When it comes to motifs, I find it quite difficult to ignore my experience and knowledge in order to create completely free of patterns and strategies. My experiences are forever influencing my work. 

The limited edition Eike König x KPM x SLEEK To-Go cups will be available to buy from 6pm on Thursday 24th November for 72 hours only.