Six Designers Exhibit Prototypes

Valerie_objects is a new design label founded by Veerle Wenes, curator of the Antwerp gallery "Galerie Valerie Traan," serving as art director, alongside Axel Van Den Bossche and Frank Lambert Frank.

As the label's first project, six selected designers (Muller Van Severen, Maarten Baas, Koichi Futatsumata, Wieki Somers, Jinhyun Jeon, Studio Simple) each designed a piece of cutlery. Prototypes were exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in June.

Inspired by an Octagonal Mechanical Pencil

The cutlery designed by Koichi Futatsumata for Valerie_objects' "the cutlery project" features a body shape where octagonal and flat surfaces at both ends merge. The design was inspired by the octagonal mechanical pencil that Futatsumata uses daily.

Four Types: Spoon, Knife, Fork, and Chopsticks

Futatsumata explains, "Generally, cutlery often has a flat cross-section for a comfortable grip and ease of manufacturing. However, by retaining the flat surfaces at both ends while giving the central body an octagonal cross-section, this design achieves enhanced functionality—easier to hold, rotate, and grip. The shape, which adapts to various ways of holding depending on the use, ultimately resulted in a sculptural form for this cutlery."