TABLESCAPE DETROIT

Tablescape Detroit 2023. Collaboration: Elizabeth Salonen x Claire Thibodeau x restaurant Marrow.

Ceramic Design x Taste

It all started with the idea of bringing ceramics to life with food. Call it a living exhibition.

We designed an 18-piece ceramic tableware collection that invites diners to be immersed in the intersection of gastronomy and ceramic arts. The collection was debuted during Detroit Month of Design.

This is collaboration. From the initial concept of bringing ceramics to life with food. Featuring a collaboration between renowned four-time James Beard nominated restaurant Marrow, multi-disciplinary artist-designer Elizabeth Salonen of Mottoform and ceramic artist-designer Claire Thibodeau. We designed and hand-made over 350 pieces + prototypes + molds. The bespoke collection of ceramic tableware and art objects were given to renowned chef Sarah Welch + Eddie Moreau to inspire and curate a menu for a six-course meal.

The Collection

We made voluminous pillow dishes, plates that looked like spilled water, plates that looked like boobs and triads, versatile bubble dishes that could be used equally for spices or sauces, short and tall beak carafes, rounded cups that you just want to hold, serving trays that look like giant dino eggs, glossy orbs, and even accessories that can be used as tea lights or precious delectables.

We discussed food waste and came up with the idea of using Marrow’s own marrow bones to cast from. From the plaster casts we made bone shaped dishes that look like replicas of real bones – keeping the original bone texture on the outside of the vessel.

Tablescape Detroit 2023. Collaboration: Elizabeth Salonen x Claire Thibodeau

Design Process

We used a combination of design processes and techniques to design Tablescape Detroit. From initial concept sketches, to 3D models, to 3D prints. We hand built designs with clay, and used wheel throwing. We made individual models from which we created plaster molds. The objects in the collection are all slip cast from their respective plaster molds.

Beautiful Things Everyday

“The Nordic way of living has influenced my work and my philosophy of design. You can have beautiful things every day in your life, you don’t need to hide things in your cupboard that you only take out for a special occasions. I want people to have beauty in their everyday life.”

– Elizabeth Salonen

Environmental Consciousness

In addition to using the bone food scraps from Marrow, we worked together to limit waste. All the clay discards were saved to reconstitute into clay again. We used clean non-toxic food-safe glazes. We also consciously curated an all-white collection that would remain timeless for years to come.

“A way of working with sustainability is not being so trend-focused that things go out of style,” Salonen says. “Hopefully, these are items that you’ll buy and keep and pass on from generation to generation.”

Plaster molds in the studio of Claire Thibodeau.
Beak Carafes, Bone dishes, and Orbs in a kiln at the studio of Claire Thibodeau.

The Dinner at Marrow

Set on butcher block tables in family style, with minimal silverware. Guests were encouraged to use their hands throughout the meal, to feel the work, to pass it to the next person, to experience it. A six-course dinner was created to harmonize with each distinct vessel.

“Atop the bread are two halves of the bone castings filled with a delicious, silky, savory butter infused with bone marrow and sour cream that tastes like steak trimmings coated in herb butter. Other bone castings are filled with dry-aged beef tartare flecked with electric purple edible flowers and Parmesan shavings.

Thin slices of scallop crudo rest in a puddle of brown butter in the divot of the Pillow Plate, a matte white bowl that sits high on the table…

…The most artful dish, though, is the charred octopus. A single crisp tentacle is plated on the Oyster Plate, a round dish that resembles a wax seal stamp on the tabletop the way it lies flat, its edges imperfect like a spill. Across the plate is a brush stroke of black squid ink, and the accompanying Bubble Platter is filled with what Welch calls, “an adventure of sauces.” Inspired by a painter’s palette, Moreau fills the dish with sweet and spicy sauces and pungent mustards meant for dipping pieces of the tentacle.”

– Lyndsay C. Green food writer for Detroit Free Press

On butcher block tables, in family style dining, a six-course tasting menu was created by restaurant Marrow to harmonize with each distinct vessel.
After the dining experience, patrons were able to purchase the Tablescape tableware and art objects.

Thin slices of scallop crudo rest in a puddle of brown butter in the divot of the Pillow Plate (left). Lettuce wraps filled with basil, shies and a dollop of dashi aioli on a shiny Boob Plate (right). Photo: Brian Kovach
Tablescape Detroit dinner at Marrow. Photo: Brian Kovach

Clams in broth in the reverse side of a Pillow Plate.
Assorted Tablescape dishes set on the chef's table at Marrow.

Stacked bubble dishes ready for an "adventure of sauces" inspired by a painter's palette.
Oyster plates lay flat on table with a brush stroke of black squid ink.

Bone Dishes (cast from real marrow bones) filled with silky butter infused with bone marrow + dry-aged beef tartare flecked with edible flowers. Served with bread on Stone Platter. Photo: Brian Kovach
Scalop crudo over Oyster Plate, colourful sauces in Bubble Dish, hand-pressed Orb with tea light.