An installation of mismatched handmade shelves makes a display area for another enigmatic assortment of objects, including a Wanders Sponge vase (1997), made by soaking a real sponge in clay, which burns away when the piece is fired. The same technique was used on the silver-plated teddy bear above it. The dolphin and Buddha figures—perhaps a reminder of Wanders’s role in mainstreaming kitsch—illustrate the designer’s interest in ordinary, popular decorative objects. Photo 10 of 11 in Marcel Wanders

Marcel Wanders

10 of 11

An installation of mismatched handmade shelves makes a display area for another enigmatic assortment of objects, including a Wanders Sponge vase (1997), made by soaking a real sponge in clay, which burns away when the piece is fired. The same technique was used on the silver-plated teddy bear above it. The dolphin and Buddha figures—perhaps a reminder of Wanders’s role in mainstreaming kitsch—illustrate the designer’s interest in ordinary, popular decorative objects.