Press Release
Govy Ceramic Tableware by Kayoko Nishii Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
Kayoko Nishii honored for bakeware, tableware, drinkware and cookware design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 26, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design category for Govy Ceramic Tableware by Kayoko Nishii. The result belongs to the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
More About Govy Ceramic Tableware
Govy is a ceramic tableware collection made through layered clay construction. Thin clay slabs are laminated and compressed so that wood grain patterns emerge from within the material instead of being applied as surface decoration. The grain forms part of the ceramic body, so the layered structure continues across the surface, underside, edges and cross sections of each piece. More than fifty clay bodies were tested for color harmony and shrinkage during firing. The collection includes mugs, bowls and plates in four wood tone colors.
Award Record
With this recognition, Kayoko Nishii is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2020 - 2021 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Award
The A' Kitchenware Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good kitchenware designs by best kitchenware brands and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to kitchenware designers, product designers, industrial design studios and kitchenware brands from all countries. Entries typically include pots, pans, cutlery, plates, bowls and glasses. Awarded kitchenware designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/kitchenware
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/180643
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180643
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180643
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/286090
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://instagram.com/govytableware
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Govy Ceramic Tableware
- Function
- Ceramic Tableware
- Category
- Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Food & Hospitality
- Colors
- Ghost White, Dark Olive Green, Tan, Saddle Brown and Gainsboro
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Kayoko Nishii
- Country
- Denmark
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180643
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photography Christopher Brown
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Govy is a ceramic tableware collection formed through structurally layered clay. Different clay bodies are stacked and compressed to generate wood-grain patterns that emerge from within the material rather than being applied. Circular knot-like patterns are intentionally designed through controlled layer composition. The layered structure appears consistently across the entire piece—including the surface, underside, edges, and cross-sections—unifying visual expression and internal structure. More than fifty clay bodies were tested to achieve color harmony and compatible shrinkage during firing.
- Inspiration
- Govy is inspired by the structural logic of wood, where growth is recorded through layered formation. The project translates this natural process into ceramics through layered clay construction. Layers are intentionally composed and compressed so wood-like grain structures emerge from within the material rather than being applied as surface decoration. As a result, the structural depth of wood is realized in ceramic form, where visual expression and material structure are unified, creating a natural warmth that enhances the presence of food while remaining versatile across different dining contexts.
- Research
- This project investigates how layered clay techniques, including nerikomi, can generate wood-grain structures directly within ceramic tableware. Instead of surface decoration, different clay bodies are laminated and compressed so the grain becomes part of the material itself. More than fifty clay bodies were tested to examine color harmony and shrinkage behavior, while over forty plate forms were developed to study proportion, usability, and food presentation. Final selections were evaluated with professional chefs to determine effective color tones and plate proportions.
- Challenge
- The central challenge was translating the visual richness of wooden vessels into ceramic while maintaining durability and usability. Over fifty clay bodies were tested to determine compatible color combinations and shrinkage behavior. Through layered construction, compression forming, and mold-based prototyping, stable grain structures were achieved. Nearly forty form prototypes were evaluated with professional chefs, leading to the final selection of forms and four wood-tone color options.
- Realization and Technology
- Govy is produced through layered clay construction derived from traditional nerikomi techniques. More than fifty clay bodies were tested to evaluate color harmony and shrinkage compatibility. Thin clay slabs are laminated, compressed, and reformed to create stable layered structures that generate wood-like grain patterns. Mold forming enables consistent forms while preserving the natural variation inherent to the stratified clay structure.
- Operation and Interaction
- Govy functions as a flexible tableware system that adapts to different dining environments. Users can select individual pieces or combine multiple forms and sizes to create varied table settings. Four wood-tone color options allow visual pairing with different foods and personal preferences while maintaining a coherent material identity. The lightweight construction improves everyday usability, and the thickness can be adjusted during production to suit both domestic use and professional kitchens.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project began in 2016 in the United States, with early works exhibited in a gallery context. Development continued intermittently, resumed in 2023, and was completed in November 2025.
- Specifications
- Mugs (Diameter x Height): Small 6.5 x 6.5 cm, Medium 8 x 8 cm, Large 9 x 9 cm. Bowls (Owan): Small 13 x 5 cm, Medium 17 x 7 cm. Deep Plates: 20 x 4 cm. Plates: 13 x 2 cm, 19 x 2 cm, 24 x 2 cm, 27 x 3 cm, 33 x 3.5 cm. Available colors: Whitewood, Oak, Cherrywood, Walnut. Production takes approximately three weeks from mold creation, or one week when molds and clay preparation are completed.
- Keywords
- Modular Design, Layered Clay, Ceramic Tableware, Material Structure, Nerikomi
