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A 10-Year Design Series Ends With a Final Set at Heath Ceramics

12.12.23 | By
A 10-Year Design Series Ends With a Final Set at Heath Ceramics

In 2013, Tung Chiang set a design challenge for himself. Each year, on a journey of exploration and evolution, the Clay Studio Director at Heath Ceramics asked himself, What is the future of design at Heath? The question has lead him to design ten collections, each one building on the legacy set in place by Edith Heath. In Tung’s 10th and final collection to the Design Series, he realized that he already had the answer: it was – essentially – himself.

Tung shares that if he had known then what he knew now, he would have modified his original inquiry to How do I evolve while staying true to Heath’s core? “The future of Heath is not solely in my hands but my work holds a piece of the ongoing legacy. Being true to myself and understanding what I’ve learned is a far more important outcome than completing the series or finding an answer to the question of what is the future of design at Heath,” the designer explains.

a mix of colored ceramics on a table

vase with white flowers and greenery

In a perfectly fitting conclusion (a pun in and of itself), Tung’s final Design Series 10 is called Between Open and Close, a series of lidded objects that open and close, a poetic metaphor to the new era of the Heath Clay Studio. Each piece comprises three quintessential parts: two forms and a split line that represents where the two touch to store the hidden secret inside. In this collection, however, the surprise is both the objects stored and the way in which it is concealed.

vase with white flowers and greenery

ceramic bowl holding orange fruit

ceramic bowl holding orange fruit

ceramic bowl holding orange fruit

hand lifting top off brown bowl

hands holding blue ceramic bowl with spout

hands lifting top off blue ceramic bowl with spout

blue ceramic bowl with lid

teal bowl and plate holding fruit

tray with integrated bowl with lid and plate

hand lifting candy off of tray with integrated bowl with lid and plate

wood case housing ten mini ceramics

To further commemorate the milestone, Tung also designed Present Ten, a special collection of several pieces, each one housing ten objects representing the past ten Design Series. Woodwork by Eddie Aye perfectly encases each item.

ten ceramic objects on black table

wood case housing ten mini ceramics

ten ceramic objects on wooden tray

ten ceramic objects on wooden shelf

red ceramic bird on ceramic bird house

ten white and blue ceramic objects on wooden stand

ten ceramic objects inside wood shelf

man walking across room filled with ceramics

What’s next for the upcoming era of Heath? While Tung has no plans to leave, he says that he will be focusing on his team, “helping [them] explore deeper and further with an open door.” That door is not a metaphor either. The Heath Clay Studio, originally on the second story in the Heath San Francisco building, has been relocated to the Boiler Room, aptly named for the pair of massive boilers from the 1930s. This new space functions as a gallery and an open showcase of Heath’s emerging work. It has, and will continue to, host workshops, tours, and daily visits from the public. “It’s an unforgettable space in look, feel, and experience that holds Clay Studio’s most unique work, with new shapes and glaze techniques going from kiln to gallery table. It’s not to be missed, which is why its doors are open,” Tung announces. On the gallery wall is a painted manifesto that declares the intention of the space:

How do you bring ideas to life? For us, it is with our hands.

Heath Clay Studio is a space dedicated to exploration and creativity. Within this space, a small team of craftspeople use their hands to bring objects to life, one piece at a time.

Meet Jay, Jeff, and Nora, our skilled team in the clay studio. Every day, they wheel the clay and dip into the glaze to create something truly special.

In this beautifully lit space we call the Boiler Room, we invite you to enjoy the silence of the wheel, the dance of their hands, and witness the beauty of the work that is created with love.

Yours sincerely,
Tung Chiang
Heath Clay Studio Director

man walking across two big boilers

ceramics on a long table next to a painted manifesto

man behind a wooden tray of ten ceramic objects

Tung Chiang, Clay Studio Director at Heath Ceramics

Present Ten and the pieces from Design Series Ten: Between Open and Close are available at heathceramics.com.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She's probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.