Karsten K. Krebs
Winfried Zeus, Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg

The culture of contemporary design and the history of the great artistic manufacturers come together in this project. The German Karsten K. Krebs is a multifaceted figure of architecture, design and art, with a studio in Hanover. He studied architecture and urban planning in Hanover and Florence and for the past 30 years has been a professor of interior design at the Peter Behrens School of Arts in Düsseldorf. Nymphenburg, founded in 1747 by the Prince Elector Max III. Joseph of Bavaria, has boasted many illustrious artists throughout its long history. Winfried Zeus started his career here as a porcelain painter in 1976, becoming a master in the complex technique of staffage, which he mastered over 40 years. Staffage, a specific painting technique, is used for the decoration of cups, plates, terrines, handles and borders, all finely painted and decorated in 24 karat gold or platinum.

The exquisite gold and platinum decorations of Zeus are remarkable for their rich and elaborate workmanship, and they embellish some of the finest services made by the royal factory. “I really appreciated Krebs’ vision, his new perspective on my work,” says Zeus. “His idea of using the staffage motif as a new pattern gave me the opportunity to use my specific know-how differently. But I also enjoyed great freedom in translating his project into an object in keeping with the spirit of Nymphenburg.” As Krebs observes: “The objects I have discovered and selected in the unparalleled collection of the company cover over three centuries of history. My design draws everything from Nymphenburg. That’s why the whole design line was called Eo Ipso.”