In collaboration with sculptor Githan Coopoo – whose works are rooted in using clay as a means to evoke messages and notions of existence – Studio H designed a unique set of cutlery designed to promote mindfulness during dining. These innovative knives, forks, and spoons feature large clay handles in primary colours, meticulously moulded and set upright on our table-scape. The intention is to encourage diners to engage more deliberately with their eating experience, prompting them to pause and set their cutlery down periodically for moments of reflection and conversation.

As Githan explains, “The design uses a fair amount of clay but the weight is comfortable and pleasant. It draws attention to the cutlery and their mandate. The impressions have been formed from tightly gripped fists, evocative of impatience, pertinence and overall giving of the object a base and primordial feeling as an implement, in contrast with the conventional hardware it is connected to, that we are all familiar with. The indentations and grips are a generous invitation to the guest to consciously invest their body and mind into their meal – a relearning of social habits now a foreign politic at the dinner table.”

In our modern world, the act of eating is often hurried and inattentive, with individuals engaged in everything but the food before them. This leads to a disconnect from the processes and people involved in bringing food to the table. By transforming dining into a ritual that encourages deliberate engagement, we aim to remind people of the profound connection between food and the human experience. This cutlery serves as a tool for reintroducing thoughtfulness and presence into mealtime, advocating for a deeper appreciation of the nourishment and social interaction that food facilitates.