CREAVI

Archemastry: A Study in Porcelain, was an ‘artwork’ devised by the research initiative Creavi, that took place in Hong Kong during Art Basel and was sponsored by Royal Salute Scotch Whisky. The event celebrated John Dee, the 16th-century master alchemist, multidisciplinary scientist, mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and philosopher. All the constituent parts of the dining experience combined to help the guests feel and understand alchemy. Everything was specially designed and made of porcelain – from the table to the cutlery, from the decorations to the book covers.

Tasked with creating the graphic elements for the event, which included the logo, invitations, table tiles, a dream journal, the books that were used to decorate the table and the catalogue. Everything was made using white porcelain in matt and gloss finishes with gold accents. The book cover designs were graphic interpretations of the different influencing subjects and made to the exact measurements of the original formats, including the number of pages. The books used a special binding technique that took into account the unusual weight of the porcelain covers.