Case Study - Famke Koene

Famke has lived in Cape Town all of her life and she feels that an eclectic city such as this, as well as her talented parents, have aided to her natural gift and on-going passion for design. Famke took general art as a subject throughout school and by the end of matric she decided to go into the graphic design industry, which includes illustration, CS5 training, rendering and fine art. The year after matric, Famke was accepted at Vega in Cape Town as well as at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Confused as where to study, she decided to extend her application in Holland by a year and started with a brand communications and copywriting course at Vega. Thereafter she moved to Eindhoven, Netherlands and studied industrial design at DAE. Famke wasn’t fond of the teaching system at the school and found it difficult to relate to. Then, in search for something more intricate and delicate, also in the design field, she applied to study jewellery design and manufacture at CPUT and is currently completing her third year and plans to do her BTech straight after.

A chair Famke designed while at DAE

Famke does not have a specific set of philosophy ideals that she works by; however, there are certain aspects that she believes are necessary in a successful design. As can be seen in this vase set that she designed during her course in the Netherlands, aspects such as proportion, form and function are vitally important. Famke says that there should also be balance within a piece. Jewellery or any other design principle should intrigue the viewer and attract attention with its beauty and interesting quality. Elements such as colour, a variety of materials and different production methods all need to be taken into account in order to have an aesthetically pleasing end result. She feels that if one sticks by these ‘rules’ one will most likely produce work that is beautiful while also holding a strong sense of visual harmony.

Famke feels that jewellery design is a very personal form of design and often people seek jewellery that is visually beautiful and delicate. She, as a designer, tries to push these boundaries, forcing people to look past this and see jewellery in a different light. Her ideal is to create jewellery that is more bulky, surprising and off beat, which can still be viewed in the same light as more delicate pieces. Her dedication to this ideal can be seen in oversized watches that she restored.

Famke has not been in the jewellery industry for long enough in order to define her design style, but she is hoping to get a clearer idea of this in her forth year of studying. Famke loves using old or used materials in her designs, taking a variety of materials out of their original/ intended environment and re-using and re-working them into new jewellery, combining them with newer materials such as silver, gold or brass. She is greatly inspired by forms of geometry, element of nature, rust and decay as well as antique markets, imperfect and contrast that is found in the slightest detail.

The theme that she has chosen for her third year project can be closely linked to her many forms of inspiration. The theme is based on creating a greater appreciation and recognition for geometric structures that people most often view as cold, isolating and impersonal. Famke aims to do this by combining the geometric shapes with natural/ found objects, forcing people to view them in a different way and be able to notice the potential they may have. Bridging the gap between geometric and natural, and creating a successful marriage between the two.

The following three pieces form part of her ‘Found Objects’ range

Even after being in the jewellery design industry for such a short time, Famke realizes that it is a tough industry to break into and making a name for yourself as a designer will take up many hours and dedication. Famke encourages herself by focusing on the end result of each piece, and although restarting and frustration are part of the journey, she feels that a positive mindset will make life easier for any designer in a competing industry.

Already, Famke has commissioned pieces for numerous clients, all with positive feedback. While she has not set up a formal website of yet, she markets herself through the social website, Facebook, her blog that she frequently updates and through word of mouth. Once she becomes more established, Famke hopes to display her work at the annual Design Indaba as well as at popular designer markets.

This ring was commissioned by a friend of Famke’s

Famke is a hard working designer with the right mindset of a jeweler, a lot of great pieces can be expected from her in the near future.