Diamond Lab
By R L Foote Design Studio
The Diamond Lab range represents Australia's wealth of culinary creativity and a land mass – rich in mineral resources. The diamond shapes bring both sophistication & playfulness to the table.
Food + Art
The Diamond Lab range was orginally made as a centrepiece to Ryan’s “food art sensory popup experience” entitled Diamond Lab. Part art installation, part restaurant, part fashion event, and part performance, the Diamond Lab is an ongoing culinary event that features a large 14-meter table, laser cut screens, and diamond-shaped chairs, flatware and even food moulds, all designed by Ryan himself.
The flatware and tableware at the event were so popular with guests that Ryan opted to make the Diamond range a product available for sale.
Inspiration
Alongside research into geometric forms, Ryan’s inspiration for the Diamond range is centered around the idea of Australia’s land as being rich in mineral resources - a concept he happened upon while reading about Australian history.
The minerals dug up in Australia are often received with acclaim overseas, but the same could not be said about a lot of its food culture, which Ryan believes is full of “globally unrecognised culinary cultural talent”.
Design process
As the product is made entirely in-house, Ryan oversees the entire production process from sketch to finished item - a process, he says, can sometimes take “as little as a few weeks”. Other times, however, a complete rewrite of the product is done, and the refinement can take almost a year.
As the shape itself is a complex one, firing it in the gas kiln can be hazardous, with dangers of the work becoming cracked or misshapen - this is prevented by what Ryan likes to call “creative solutions”.
Why we love The Diamond Lab range
The Diamond lab range will be a talking point whether it's on the dining table, or on display. It's evidence of Ryans careful craftsmanship using complex forms. The fine porcelain, does not stain, despite been unglazed, as the surface becomes impermeable to liquids after been fired for hours at 1,400 °C, it develops a glass-like resistance to stains.
Ryan L. Foote
R L Foote Design
Ryan Foote is the man behind R L Foote Design Studio, a Melbourne-based design studio that specializes in hand-made unique ceramic flatware and a host of contemporary interior design objects.
His unique designs has even garnered the attention of a Michelin star chef; Ryan’s passion for cooking has influenced the focus of his works – designing ceramics that can enhance the culinary experience. Thinking like a chef, Ryan often employs experimental techniques and ingredients to his ceramics and glazes to create a unique product which pushes new boundaries in ceramic design.