Meerkat
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 is the first post-revolution independent design brand and studio in the Czech Republic, featuring the country's first design shop with its own production.
Since its inception in 2002, it has been located at Rámová 3, Prague 1. From luxury collectible objects to everyday design products, Qubus is renowned for its imaginative style that ironically and humorously pushes the boundaries of personal taste.
The brand was founded in 2002 by sculptor and designer Jakub Berdych Karpelis (1971), who invited Maxim Velčovský (1976), then a fresh graduate of UMPRUM, to collaborate.
That same year, the duo opened the Qubus showroom. They managed the brand together until 2010, when Maxim departed for Lasvit, where he remains today. Jakub Berdych Karpelis continues as the owner, art director, and chief designer of his own brand.
In 2023, Jakub was joined by curator, and creative producer Marcela Straková (1977). Together, they now lead the studio as an curator-designer duo, heading toward the 25th anniversary of Qubus in May 2026.
In addition to conceptual and product design, Qubus Studio also realizes projects in interior design and exhibition architecture. Qubus is both a recipient and a creator of several prestigious awards in the fields of culture, art, and design. Under the Qubus brand, numerous now-iconic installations, collections, and artworks have been created.
The studio’s products are characterized by the use of traditional materials, such as glass and porcelain, crafted in local workshops in collaboration with regional masters of their trade.
Since its early days, Qubus has invited other artists and designers to collaborate and expand its portfolio with original, limited-edition collections. The Qubus Design Studio thus serves as a creative platform not only for Jakub Berdych Karpelis but for other artists and designers as well.
All Qubus products are HANDMADE IN BOHEMIA – handcrafted in the Czech Republic.
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