Hermès recently unveiled its captivating new porcelain tableware line, “Natures Marines,” during Paris Design Week. This exquisite 34-piece collection, a collaboration with acclaimed London illustrator Katie Scott, transforms dining into an artistic exploration of the deep sea. The presentation itself was a spectacle, held within a repurposed carpentry workshop, where a carefully crafted sand-covered floor mimicked a tidal landscape, setting the perfect stage for these ocean-inspired creations.
The creative journey for “Natures Marines” spanned four years. Initially tasked with a broad marine life theme, Scott honed her focus to exclusively depict sea plants after an immersive visit to the Natural History Museum in London. There, she delved into a vast marine herbarium, home to over 60,000 dried algae specimens dating back to the 17th century. This profound research, particularly observing how some seaweed samples extended to room-length when unfurled, influenced her unique approach to drawing and positioning these botanical elements on the porcelain forms. Scott's detailed pen-on-paper sketches were then digitized and colored, resulting in each of the 34 distinct pieces featuring up to five unique marine elements such as sea algae, wakame, kallymenia, samphire, and sea fans, ensuring no two pieces are identical. This thoughtful design means dinner, dessert, and bread plates each boast between two to four individual decorations, offering an engaging and customizable table setting experience.
Despite utilizing a primary palette of pink, green, and sand, the collection achieves remarkable tonal depth through approximately 30 different shades, precisely matching the richness of the original pressed specimens. Hermès' Artistic Directors of Home Universe, Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry, lauded Scott’s ability to meticulously translate her vision onto porcelain, crediting her rigorous composition and adept use of color. Scott's long-standing partnership with Hermès, which began in 2018 with her scarf designs and extended to blankets and fashion accessories, underscores the brand's appreciation for her distinctive artistic style. While previous Hermès tableware collections, like those by Nigel Peake and Gianpaolo Pagni, leaned towards graphic interpretations, “Natures Marines” embraces a figurative approach. Perelman and Fabry expressed their confidence in Scott's structured methodology and geometric arrangement of elements, which successfully bridged their less conventional comfort with figurative art. This stunning collection was not only displayed but also brought to life through a culinary experience, as chef Céline Pham from Arles served delicate dishes featuring colorful root vegetables, bitter leaves, and nasturtiums, perfectly complementing the aquatic artistry of the tableware.