Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design
Lea Anna Szolnoki - Zserbó petit four
ONYX Műhely x MOME I ‘Gerbeaud legacy’ project
Project overview
Teacher
Programme
Degree level
Department
Year of project
2022
The project is a collaboration between the MOME Object Design programme and ONYX Műhely. The goal of ONYX Műhely is to present a progressive Hungarian cuisine offering a fusion of art, science and gastronomy.
The design course for ceramic design students of the MOME Object Design programme was led by Art Director of the ONYX Műhely’s Creative Community Angéla Góg DLA, and ceramist and MOME teacher Edit Kondor. Assisted by the Műhely's creative pastry chef Zsuzsanna Borsos, students were tasked with designing dessert serving items for ONYX Műhely by exploring contemporary dessert culture and the related serving techniques and drawing on Gerbeaud's legacy.
My petit four serving tray design reflects on the environmental issues related to the ingredients produced. It focuses on the three key ingredients of the Gerbeaud dessert: apricots, walnuts and cocoa, which I have partly incorporated into the ceramic design. I started by exploring the ingredients, including the byproducts left after processing, in an attempt to find ways to utilise the nutshell or the apricot pit to create my item.
I decided to develop an alternative ceramic ash glaze, replacing the traditional wood ash with ash from the seeds and shells of walnuts. All three serving units demonstrate the vulnerability of the raw material and the degradation of the surface through chemical destruction. The petit four serving tray is intended to raise awareness about the scarcity of available ingredients, while not detracting from the pleasure of enjoying them.
Photo: Rebeka Szomor
