Carrying values of inclusivity, humor and fantasy, the Belgian brand helen b offers a good stroke of the pen in the world of tableware. A particularly rich and pictorial universe, porcelain pieces made in Belgium... Meeting with the designer.
Carrying values of inclusivity, humor and fantasy, the Belgian brand helen b offers a good stroke of the pen in the world of tableware. A particularly rich and pictorial universe, porcelain pieces made in Belgium... Meeting with the designer.
"That's the beauty of collecting. It's all made by people, not by a single machine. So there's a lot of soul and history in a product."
who is behind helen b? Can you tell us more ?
I am Helen Blanchaert, the creative soul behind helen b. I draw and design collections from A to Z. I like to create beautiful things. I can spend hours on Pinterest looking at other people's beautiful creations. I also like the details or the humor in the drawings. I like to travel and draw a lot of energy and inspiration from it for my own collections.
I'm also always very curious about how things are made, how they happen and how they are put together because that can inspire me for my own creative process.
Can you tell us more about the process of creating your collections, from idea to completion? Was it a challenge to integrate the handmade?
It is important to me that things are kept simple, that the creations are not complex. Of course, it starts with a drawing and I let that guide me. I still draw on paper too. I like craftsmanship and pure craftsmanship and so it's great to be able to cooperate with a social workshop where craftsmanship is important. We divide the production process so that everyone can take a small part which also could be done mechanically in one go. That's the beauty of the collection. Everything is done by people, not by a single machine. So there is a lot of soul and history in a product. By working with small businesses and local businesses, I also keep control over the production process. This way I know from start to finish by whom and where a product was made. It also corresponds to the message that helen b wants to convey. The drawings are personal, they present recognizable everyday situations. It would be strange if the collection were made somewhere in China by people I don't know or by machines. All of this makes the collection so personal.
It is important to me that things are kept simple, that the creations are not complex. Of course, it starts with a drawing and I let that guide me. I still draw on paper too. I like craftsmanship and pure craftsmanship and so it's great to be able to cooperate with a social workshop where craftsmanship is important. We divide the production process so that everyone can take a small part which also could be done mechanically in one go. That's the beauty of the collection. Everything is done by people, not by a single machine. So there is a lot of soul and history in a product. By working with small businesses and local businesses, I also keep control over the production process. This way I know from start to finish by whom and where a product was made. It also corresponds to the message that helen b wants to convey. The drawings are personal, they present recognizable everyday situations. It would be strange if the collection were made somewhere in China by people I don't know or by machines. All of this makes the collection so personal.
Illustration is at the heart of your creations: what are your artistic inspirations?
Something or someone touches me, I draw a picture and then I continue to work on it. The collection is a representation of society as I see it. There are no hidden messages behind it, nor political statements. What you see is what you get. Funny situations, memories, something I experienced or heard about.
Everything can be a source of inspiration for me. I love to travel and I always come home full of ideas.
We find a lot of humor in helen b: do you like to play with codes, surround yourself with good vibes? What place do you give to humor in decoration?
I think it's important to do what you love in life. Do what makes you happy, because life is too short to be unhappy. And often life is not so beautiful, but often it is. I stopped following the news a long time ago. It gave me a very negative image of the world and of society. I want to balance that with helen b. Surround yourself with beautiful things, things and people that make you happy, with positivity. People who bring out the best in you are worth their weight in gold. I also like people who don't take themselves too seriously, people who just do their own thing and can laugh at their own stupidity.
I think it's important to do what you love in life. Do what makes you happy, because life is too short to be unhappy. And often life is not so beautiful, but often it is. I stopped following the news a long time ago. It gave me a very negative image of the world and of society. I want to balance that with helen b. Surround yourself with beautiful things, things and people that make you happy, with positivity. People who bring out the best in you are worth their weight in gold. I also like people who don't take themselves too seriously, people who just do their own thing and can laugh at their own stupidity.
helen b is also distinguished by her inclusive figures. During this month of pride, it is very significant beautiful and multiple representations of the couple. Could you tell us more about the philosophy of life that you want to instil through your creations?
Everyone is different. That's fine, because it would be pretty boring if everyone liked the same things. I find the company very interesting because of its diversity. Opinions and interests may differ, but that does not make them inferior. It's interesting to see how other people think about certain things and you don't always have to agree with that, but it can make you look at things in a different way and come up with new ideas.
But there is one thing you cannot argue about. Love is love. It is incomprehensible that people decide what is possible and what is not. Who are we to decide what is right or wrong? What message are we giving to our children? Is it a shame that in some parts of Europe same-sex marriages are still not allowed? I really can't understand it and sometimes it makes me very sad and angry. If my daughter falls in love with a girl, I will be as happy as if she falls in love with a boy. As long as she is happy!
The older Helen B gets, the more I sometimes feel like I want to be an example of this. Again, I don't want political messages behind my drawings, but rather a beautiful and realistic depiction of society and life as it is.
On a daily basis, how does nature have an echo in your life?
We are both very sensitive to nature. For my part, my family history is intimately linked to my work: I come from a large family of botanists and naturalists, whom I knew better for their activities as architects. Several herbariums of my family have also been entrusted to the Natural History Museum. I've always loved botanists' boards, I've always been immersed in this universe. The herbarium is for me a family heirloom. Marie also maintains a very strong relationship with nature and whenever the opportunity presents itself, always goes outside. The last word, a blue or vegetable object that has recently caught your eye? Since the birth of Invincible Summer, we have always seen nature through the prism of the cyanotype: we look at a fern, a maple leaf, imagining its footprints... Our vision has thus changed on nature: we will do so dry the bouquets of flowers that are offered to us, pick up and transpose any piece of plant that catches our eye.
We are both very sensitive to nature. For my part, my family history is intimately linked to my work: I come from a large family of botanists and naturalists, whom I knew better for their activities as architects. Several herbariums of my family have also been entrusted to the Natural History Museum. I've always loved botanists' boards, I've always been immersed in this universe. The herbarium is for me a family heirloom. Marie also maintains a very strong relationship with nature and whenever the opportunity presents itself, always goes outside. The last word, a blue or vegetable object that has recently caught your eye? Since the birth of Invincible Summer, we have always seen nature through the prism of the cyanotype: we look at a fern, a maple leaf, imagining its footprints... Our vision has thus changed on nature: we will do so dry the bouquets of flowers that are offered to us, pick up and transpose any piece of plant that catches our eye.
“The older Helen B gets, the more I sometimes feel like I want to be an example of this. To provide a beautiful and realistic portrayal of society and life as it is.”
The final word, do you have a Belgian nugget for us to discover?
Studio Stoutpoep!
Studio Stoutpoep!