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Zieta x Szwed – Ceramics in Steel

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photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

The collaboration between Zieta Studio and Arkadiusz Szwed brings together two distinct design languages — two processes, two materials, and two sensibilities. The starting point for this collaboration is Re:Panel — a project by Oskar Zięta, first presented in Milan in 2025 as a tribute to Jean Prouvé. In its 2026 iteration, the object evolves into a table — a structure with a perforated top that opens itself to further design intervention.

photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

A Dialogue of Process and Material

Responding to this structure, Arkadiusz Szwed introduces his characteristic ceramic forms, which “fill” the openings in the tabletop. These elements not only extend the functionality of the object, but also introduce a new sculptural expression — particularly visible beneath the surface.

photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

This is a meeting of two technologies: the industrial FiDU process, based on metal deformation through internal pressure, and Szwed’s authorial, hands-on method of working with porcelain. While differing in scale and tools, both practices are rooted in a deep understanding of material and a conscious shaping of process.

photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

Rondo Mirror photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

Re:Panel as a Platform

In this new interpretation, Re:Panel becomes a platform for dialogue — not only between steel and ceramics, but also between function and expression. Zięta develops a structural logic that invites intervention, while Szwed responds with forms derived from his “Bumps 2.0” collection, where utility undergoes sculptural transformation.

Plopp photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

G-Table photo: Mateusz Żurowski/Grzegorz Kurzejamski/RiverCrew

As Szwed notes, his objects remain functional, yet their form is “hacked” — reshaped through a self-developed process that moves between analogue making and digital thinking. This approach resonates naturally with FiDU technology, where process itself becomes visible within the form.

Huba Console

Ceramics in Metal

Zieta x Szwed is a collaboration in which ceramics is not an addition, but an integral part of the structure. It enters the metal, complements it, and redefines its function. It is a story of design as an open process — one that allows for intervention, dialogue, and transformation.

Shared Origins, Distinct Languages

Both Zięta and Szwed are connected to the School of Form — an environment that frames design as a conscious practice at the intersection of art, technology, and craft. For Szwed, who has worked with ceramics since the age of fifteen, porcelain remains a field of experimentation and personal method-building. For Zięta, steel and FiDU technology serve as tools for redefining the possibilities of material.