Suricata
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
design: Antonin Tomášek, 2005 / 2007
material: porcelain
dimensions: 12 x 16 x 19 cm
Limited edition of small porcelain figurines with animal motif.
Sociable, sophisticated, playful and always alert, it's all Suricata! Qubus also occasionally invites other artists and designers to collaborate with them to create original limited edition collections. It is no coincidence that the fragile animal statuette was designed for Qubus by Antonín Tomášek in 2006.
The small decorative sculpture had two variants in the first collection, a pure white glaze or a variant with a bright green stripe on the base. In 2024, Surikata celebrates its 18th birthday, and to mark the occasion, a limited collector's edition of 18 pieces with two variants of the base colour banding: sky blue and / or pink.
"I originally went to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow to see the painting "They Didn't Expect" by Russian realist painter Ilya Yefimovich Repin. But I was unexpectedly ambushed by the "Bears in the Pine Grove" painting by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin hanging nearby. (Note also the title "Morning in the Pine Forest" ) A simple forest motif, a mother bear with three cubs. Two are playing on the log of a fallen pine tree and one, with his back turned, is intently watching something inside the painting. He is watching the rising morning mist. He stands, looking both intrigued and apprehensive. I was magnetized by the fog, inspired by the subtle indeterminate tension. Somewhere in there I came to the idea of an observer - a meerkat..." comments designer Antonín Tomášek on the source of inspiration.
Surikat porcelain statuettes for Qubus are produced by the author personally in his workshop in Prague.
About the designer
Antonín Tomášek (*1978, Ostrov) is a Czech designer of porcelain and ceramics, who currently heads the ceramic design studio at the Faculty of Art and Design, UJEP in Ústí nad Labem. A graduate of UMPRUM, he is one of the leading Czech artists and is known for his innovative ideas and perceptive approach to traditional craft. He co-founded the brand Whitefruits and, in addition to Qubus, he also collaborates with the design publishing house Tablo. Tomášek is an innovative designer who combines tradition with modern technology and design trends. The work of Antonín Tomášek can be found in the collections of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, the Museum of the Capital City of Prague, the Moravian Gallery in Brno, as well as in private collections. Antonín Tomášek is the author of both unique pieces and mass-produced collections, which are appreciated not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad.
ABOUT THE BRAND
QUBUS (est. 2002)
Qubus has been provoking with conceptual design objects and art pieces for 24 years!
All Qubus products are HANDMADE IN BOHEMIA – handmade in the Czech Republic.
Qubus stands also for the first Czech design shop with its own production in Czech Republic, located in Rámová Street No.3 from the very beginnings in 2002. The luxury collectibles and everyday utility products are famous for their inventive design that ironically and humorously pushes the boundaries of your personal taste.
Qubus was founded in 2002 by artist, sculptor and designer Jakub Berdych Karpelis (1971), who invited Maxim Velčovský (1976), a recent graduate of UMPRUM, to collaborate with him. The design duo was behind the opening of the Qubus showroom in the same year. They co-directed the Qubus brand together as a duo until 2009. In 2009 Maxim left for LASVIT and since that Jakub followed as art director of Qubus – his own brand. Since 2010, Jakub Berdych Karpelis has remained as the art director and chief designer of the brand. In 2023 arts manager, curator and producer Marcela Straková (1977) has joined Jakub and since then they have been co-directing Qubus as artist-producer duo together towards the 25th anniversary which comes in May 2026.
In addition to conceptual and product design Qubus also carries out projects in the field of interior and exhibition design. Qubus has been awarded and Jakub also an author of several prestigious awards across the fields of culture, art and design, and has created a number of now iconic installations, collections and artworks under the Qubus brand.
Qubus products are characterized by the use of radical materials such as glass and porcelain, all created in local workshops and in collaboration with local masters of their craft.
The tiny imperfections and bubbles are a testament to handmade craftsmanship.
Qubus Design Studio serves as a platform for the artistic work of Jakub Berdych Karpelis and other artists/designers that Qubus invites to collaborate.
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