40TH ANNIVERSARY EDIT
four decades of creativity & craftsmanship
Serax is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. Over the past four decades, a wide range of renowned designers have become part of the Serax design family. Their careers helped shape Serax, while Serax, in turn, influenced their way of thinking about design. In other words: forty years of creative cross-pollination. To mark this milestone, we asked some of our most talked-about designers to reflect on the key moments in their professional journeys.
What was your first encounter with Serax like?
Kelly Wearstler: “I’d been using Serax in my projects for years. I loved the quality, the sensibility of the brand. Tableware had been on my list of things to create for a long time, but finding the right partner mattered. We always look for partners who are premium, who work at the top of their category. Our team reached out to Serax in Belgium to see if they'd be interested in collaborating. Luckily, they were.”
Vincent Van Duysen: “It all started when I was working on my first hotel project in Antwerp, Hotel August. For this project, we wanted to design everything — every detail was custom-made for the space. We created a full outdoor collection as well as a tableware collection specifically for the hotel. It felt important that the objects reflected the same atmosphere as the architecture. That is how my relationship with Serax began. From the very beginning, there was a natural understanding and a shared sensibility for quality, materiality and timeless design. What started as a project quickly evolved into a long-term dialogue built on trust and mutual respect.”
What were the key milestones in your collaboration with Serax?
Marie Michielssen: “When the production of the strawberry pots — and later the new tealight holders — moved to Vietnam, I had to travel to Asia to instruct the craftspeople there on how the objects should be painted. It was an intense but beautiful period. Gradually, I began experimenting with other materials, and my practice shifted from decoration to design. That is how I started designing objects in concrete and papier-mâché, which I still do today, mainly for lighting. The biggest evolution, both for me and for the company, was the introduction of the production team. Since then, Serax and my designs have become much more professional. I no longer had to travel to Asia myself, something I had done for twenty years. I still design everything at home; that has never changed. In recent years, I have entered a more intuitive phase. Ceramics is now my great love — it is what I want to grow old with.”
Vincent Van Duysen: “Passe-Partout and August were the starting points of our collaboration. These two collections marked the beginning of a shared journey. They carry the values that would define our work together: simplicity, material honesty and a timeless approach to everyday objects. Over the years, the collections have grown and evolved to better reflect the way people live with objects today. The focus gradually shifted to broader, more versatile collections that fit naturally into daily life. Good examples are the furniture collections Rudolph and August. This evolution has been very organic, without forcing direction, simply responding to how people use, experience and value design.”
What is the most remarkable experience you have had at Serax?
Marie Michielssen: “Working for Serax has been one big adventure. One moment that has always stayed with me is when I had to travel alone to London for a meeting at the headquarters of Liberty. It is a bespoke design store where I loved to browse. I was riding through the city in a taxi, feeling incredibly proud and happy. Eventually, this renowned store also sold my designs. That moment in the taxi will stay with me forever. The first time you appear in a magazine is also unforgettable. That was 35 years ago, and I was immensely proud.”
Kelly Wearstler: “Creating my first tableware collection. I love entertaining, I'm always thinking about how to elevate the experience for family and friends, but actually bringing it to life with Serax was transformative. Seeing Zuma and Dune go from concept to reality, and then following it with my first outdoor ceramics collection, my first venture into planters: that felt like a natural evolution but also completely new territory. Going from tabletop to outdoor vessels, both firsts, both with Serax — that progression has been remarkable."
Which Serax design are you most proud of?
Piet Boon: “One collection clearly stands out for me: the BASE tableware collection. The plates act as a blank canvas for every dish, allowing the food to speak for itself. This collection has been part of the Piet Boon by Serax range for ten years now, and this year we are adding oval plates. It feels like we have created something that is alive—timeless and appreciated worldwide, both at home and in restaurants. For a design team, that is the greatest compliment: seeing a design truly used and loved.”
Pascale Naessens: “The Pure collection. I did not only design coloured ceramics; my photography was also done at home, in my natural environment, rather than in a cold studio. At that time, Serax mainly sold to the hospitality sector. My collection opened the door to direct sales for people at home. We were somewhat pioneers in the field of artisanal, homely, and natural ceramics—ceramics with a genuine story behind them."
Marie Michielsen: "If I really have to name one object, it would be the Valerie Lounge Chair. That object was my first true wooden piece of furniture and a particularly professional product, where I later on also made an steel version of, for in- and outdoor use, and that was also a new way of thinking. From that moment on, I started naming all my designs after women, because they are still too often invisible in the creative world."
Which design did you learn the most from?
Kelly Wearstler: “The outdoor ceramics. Working with terracotta and stoneware, understanding how hand-applied artisanal glazes move across surfaces in ways that feel completely organic — it was a study in letting go of control. The glazes are the heroes. They pool, they shift, they create these inimitable textures. You can't force that. You have to trust the material and the artisan's hand."
Vincent Van Duysen: “Passe-Partout was a very important project for me, because it was the first time I designed a full tableware collection. Until then, my work was mainly focused on architecture and furniture, so approaching objects that are so closely linked to daily rituals was a new experience. It taught me how to think about scale, tactility and use in a very intimate way. How a plate feels in the hand, how a glass sits on a table, how objects become part of everyday moments. Passe-Partout helped me understand that even the most simple pieces can carry a strong atmosphere when they are designed with care and intention.”
In short: what is good design to you?
Pascale Naessens: "Good design supports life and serves it."
Vincent Van Duysen: "For me, good design is quiet, honest and long-lasting. It doesn’t shout. It supports life instead of dominating it."
Marie Michielsssen: "Good design is beautiful and functional, and created from the heart. It stands the test of time and is balanced — even when it appears chaotic."
Kelly Wearstler: "It makes you feel something. It engages all your senses, not just your eyes. It's beautiful, yes, but it also has soul. It shows the hand that made it. It improves with use, with time. It tells a story."
