Gareth Neal started by taking the forms of some generic tableware– classic vases and other vessels. At first, he said, ‘I was thinking of something very functional. Then I thought, let’s push the boundaries.’ He asked to go to the Zaha Hadid office and to work with the modelling software that it uses. From this came the idea of extruding the form along one of its axes with a slit opening at the end that allowed the viewer to look into what Neal described as ‘a cathedral-like space’. He was interested in the contrast between the maker’s mark and the mechanical process of design, and the fact that the design and making process would produce ridges that were analogous to those created by a potter’s thumb.

'Through using the traditional vessel form as a starting point and subverting its appearance to dramatic extremes, mimicking traditional carving technique I hope the pieces will embed the design with a sense of the handmade through the arm of a robot, questioning the viewer’s perceptions of craft and the handmade,' said Zaha Hadid.