“I am a designer and technician, craftsman and artist, producer and user, practitioner and theorist. I am looking for answers and through my work I try to make a contribution so together we can overcome the challenges of our times.” – Doreen Westphal
Born in former East Germany, Doreen Westphal trained initially as a tailor. After the people of East Germany brought down the wall she left the country in order to experience a part of Europe she hadn’t seen before. She settled for a few years in the UK in order to study Theater Design before she moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands where she freelanced as a theater set and costume designer. In 2002 she established KRE – JCI by Doreen Westphal with a series of bags and living accessories made from used Amsterdam bicycle inner tubes; the Tubus Collection. Meanwhile this collection has been completed by a number of luxurious and innovative products; but the philosophy to produce not only for the marked, but also for the future is still the same. Doreen is based in Eindhoven and works within the field of conceptual crafts. Recently she presented Concrete Lace Curtain and Concrete and Detailed; a series of tableware and living accessories all made from concrete