The Balloon Bowls are created by casting strong synthetic plaster into a balloon, after which a second balloon is inserted, and inflated. These two balloons act as flexible moulds, ensuring a unique shape for each and every bowl. Once the plaster is set, the balloons are removed, and a bowl appears.
The colorants, which are added to the water prior to mixing it with the plaster powder, emerge differently each time again, creating uncontrolled and often spectacular color patterns. The bowls are finished with a special coating (matte or glossy, or a combination of both) which reinforces the plaster, makes it waterproof and usable for many purposes, it is also dry food approved.
The process is an experimental and conceptual interpretation of a traditional artisanal principle and of an industrial process; casting a liquid substance in a mould, and taking it out when it is cured and hard. Instead of using porcelain or clay, plaster is used, for once as the end material, not just as an inferior material to make moulds with. The project is all about serendipity; the parameters that influence the process are known, but still a big part of the end result is unpredictable, the Balloon Bowls never turn out exactly the way you expect it.
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