Hendrik Forster & Kenny Son

The Teapot Project is a unique collaboration between master gold and silversmith Hendrik Forster and object maker and designer Kenny Son. 

Tea is universal yet there are specific cultural interests that both Hendrik and Kenny from their respective German and Korean backgrounds bring to their work that adds further depth and flavour to the story.

Hendrik Forster

Born and trained in Germany, Hendrik Forster is a designer-maker silver and metalsmith based in Calulu, Victoria Australia. He graduated in Gold and Silversmithing from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, training under Professor Franz Rickert, a prominent German silversmith and advocate of traditional forms. He was also a Journeyman of the Guild of Gold and Silversmiths, Munich in 1973. 

Hendrik’s inventive reworking of traditional styles can be seen in the many examples of his work held by galleries and museums all around Australia. One of his significant achievements was to produce an edition of 20 plates commissioned in 1981 by the Prime Minister’s Department as Australia’s wedding gift for Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.  Forster brings vast knowledge of the history of contemporary Australian metalcraft, his German training and his creative and witty vision to this collaboration.

Kenny Son

Born and trained in the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Kenny Son is an object designer-maker metalsmith based in Sydney, NSW Australia. After graduating from Sydney College of the Arts in 2010 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Jewellery & Object), Son went on to complete a Masters in Design at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Kenny then travelled to South Korea for a six-month intensive mentorship training under Sung Joon Cho, a designated master in Korean metalcraft. This was a significant period in Son’s training. His current practice, established soon after returning from this mentorship, is strongly shaped by the combination of his varied training experiences.

Read The Teapot Project catalogue here