Fired Up: Wiid Design’s Ceramic Ode to Nature

South African designer Laurie Wiid van Heerden of Wiid Design debuts Field Notes: Nature Recast – a ceramics collection that transforms the shapes, textures and details of nature into distinctive sculptural pieces and functional objects.

WORDS Palesa Mohola PHOTOS Suly Kuhn (Portrait), Justin Patrick

Laurie revisits a childhood memory of collecting stones, seed pods, tortoise shells, seashells and other found objects on his outdoor walks. This became the inspiration for his new collection: 24 ceramic reliefs appearing in raised sculptural detail, each depicting different species of birds, reptiles, insects, mammals and plants; a series of ceramic masks – including three larger African Mask Sculptures incorporating botanical references – that reinterpret decorative figures through carved details, playful accents and expressive glaze; and tall vases, ceramic seed pods, hawksbill turtle shells, trinket boxes and containers combining glass, cork and ceramic.

As Wiid Design‘s most ambitious exploration of ceramics to date, the collection navigates the natural world through ceramics, cork and glass – celebrating the remarkable diversity of South Africa’s natural environment and the wider African continent through its animals and vegetation: the secretary bird, Cape dwarf chameleon, pangolin, African moon moth, quiver tree and disa flower.

Field Notes: Nature Recast is on display at AAFRICAA, a destination for contemporary African design known for its carefully curated selection of fashion, homeware, jewellery, art and objects by established and emerging designers – a setting in which visitors encounter the collection as both art and design.

Field Notes: Nature Recast is showing until 30 November 2026 at AAFRICAA, located at the Alfred Mall at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. wiiddesign.co.za | aafricaastore.com

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