Colour is one of the key aspects of design along with form; we see the world in colour but we often forget how complex that very process is. Our experiences of it in everyday life changes, influenced by time of day, lighting, and material.
Over the summer I went to see Breathing Colour by Hella Jongerius, an exhibition at The Design Museum, London. An installation based exhibition, Breathing Colour reveals the full potential of colour, demonstrating how colours appear in different lights and how this can affect our experiences of them. Hella Jongerius argues that the processes of industrialization have narrowed our experiences of colour. Hella tries to open up our experiences of colour through a series of projects, such as morning, noon and evening light and with materials such as glass and textiles.
Even though its not a huge exhibition there was quite a lot to take in and think about, the scientific learnings behind colour, colour organisation as well colour exchanges. Hella’s experiments with colour on different forms shown in multiple tones of light and materials present us with a truly visual experience of colour.

Organising Colour

Morning Colour
‘These Colour Catchers are an abstraction of all the daily objects that surround me. They are the ultimate shapes for researching colour, shadows and reflections. They are my canvases.’ – Hella Jonagerius

Evening Colour