Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli by Ann Dinh

Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli by Ann Dinh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli in Tlaxcalchihualoni, Tlacualtlapechtli, Atliloni ihuan Tlecuilchihualli Tlachihchihualiztli Competition Category.

TepoztliTlecuilchihualli· 2024

Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli

by Ann Dinh

Client: Ann T. Dinh

Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli Winner in Tlecuilchihualli Category

16,760

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #157023

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli

Miec huehcauh xiuhtin, tlacah quichiuhqueh comitl, ihuan axan yancuic tlachihualiztli 3D quihualiya ce yancuiliztli. Dam Da ce nepantla machihualli comitl necentlaliztli, motlahtoa ica ihcuilolli itic, quinextiya tlamanalli ihuan intlapohual, ihuan no mochihuaya tlacualhuaztli. Inon iyolloh hueliti mopatlaz ipan nepapan tlacualihcuilolmeh, ipan nepapan tlacualmeh, ipan nepapan altepemeh. Dam Da quipiya iyolloh ce ahmo polihui toltecayotl, quinamiqui in huelitianih moztlayotl.

The Recognition

About the Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli

Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli ca in quicuic in Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli, tlamahuizoliztli tlen momaca in cualli dizayno in quitlalia in tlen monequi ipan tequitl ihuan tlachihualiztli in quimaca in cualli tlachihualli. In quicuicah Tepoztli quinextia in hueyi tlamatiliztli, toltecayotl ihuan ihuelitiliztli intlachihuanime. Ca quinequi in Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli ca tlazohtli, mahuiztic, yancuic ihuan motequiuhtia. Ni dizayno in quicuic Tepoztli quihuelitia in tlamatiliztli ihuan quipia chicahualiztli tlen tepoztli. Dam Da Comitl Necentlaliztli quicualtia in nemiliztli ihuan quihuelitia in cemanahuac ica cualli.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: For millennia, people have created ceramics, and 3D printing is ushering in a renaissance. Dam Da is a semi-handcrafted ceramic set that communicates through embedded design, detailing ingredients and approximate measurements, doubling as a serving vessel. Its overall framework can adapt to different variations of a recipe, to different dishes, in different cultures. Dam Da captures the essence of a timeless art form embracing the possibilities of the future.
Research: For many Asian Americans, there is a struggle of belonging. “Go back to your home country” has been spat at, yet the United States is the only country they know and have. Food is a common link to their parent’s homeland, a cultural anchor that families can bond over. However, as their parent’s generation becomes older, will that bond hold true?

“Am I even Korean anymore if there’s no one left in my life to call and ask which brand of seaweed we used to buy?”
-Michelle Zauner, lead vocalist and songwriter of the alternative pop band Japanese Breakfast

How might we establish a method of connecting to food heritage that can be passed down through the generations?

Dam Da is a nesting set that provides a unit of measurement and serving. This set is particular to a family chicken pho recipe. However, the intended design can easily be adapted to different chicken pho recipes and other pho types, such as beef. Dam Da breaks with imperial and metric standards, defining “a little bit of this”.

Dam Da is coded between broth preparation, bowl preparation, and serving, by the color. The product is a reaction to the informal nature of cooking found in immigrant communities and how information could be documented in some way.

As the piece ages, the crackle glaze is marked by wear and provides a subtle indication of the amount. In addition, each piece has a graphic representation of what ingredient coordinates. The underside also has Vietnamese and English labeling.

“If food doesn’t have context and story, it just doesn’t taste that good.”
-Andrea Nguyen, Vietnamese-born, American food writer
Inspiration: Dam Da is designed for immigrant children as a culinary bridge to heritage. Family recipes, often unwritten and lost in translation, find a place in this ceramic set. Embracing the flexibility of home cooking allows approximations, encouraging personalization. While it can't replicate grandma's touch, it becomes a cherished heirloom, symbolizing resilience for those who started anew with little in a new country.