ronan + erwan bouroullec: ovale for alessi

‘ovale’ dinner / serving plateall images courtesy of ronan and erwan bouroullec

french designers ronan and erwan bouroullec recently collaborated with italian company alessi on a new tableware collection called ‘ovale’.

‘ovale’ plate

this is how ronan and erwan bouroullec have described the project, with text shared by managing director alberto alessi:

‘the ovale collection strives to be original, but it also wants to be rustic and traditional. we set out in pursuit of delicate expression. this composition speaks about every day life, about breakfast, lunch, about everyone getting together for dinner. there is a desire for simplicity.‘ then, ronan coined a new expression to describe alessi, a likeness that appeals to me: ‘alessi is very similar to the operation described in tim burton’s movie adaptation of willy wonka and the chocolate factory, a wonderful factory where alessi produces cakes and sweets.’ says ronan. delicate, slightly expressive, simple, almost neo-primitive, deliberately saying ‘hold the sugar!’, the complete table service, ‘ovale’, marks the entry into the alessi catalogue of the two brothers from brittany. I am very grateful to them not only for this beautiful project – with its subsidiary expressiveness, I’m sure it will find its way among the major main course of our catalog – but also for having coined, defining a ‘producer of sweet things’, a phrase worthy of philippe starck’s definition in the 80s, ‘alessi is a merchant of happiness.’ – alberto alessi

‘ovale’ side plate

‘ovale’ small dish

the tableware collection includes dishes, serving dishes and glasses

‘ovale’ tableware collection

‘ovale’ tableware collection

‘ovale’ serving ware and storage dishes

serving ware comes with lids for easy storage and to maintain heat before serving warm dishes

‘ovale’ glassware

entire alessi ‘ovale’ tableware collection

ronan and erwan bouroullec with ‘ovale’