David Síla

Artist and ceramics designer, an experimenter with materials and technologies.

Education: 2010–2014 the Secondary School of Applied Arts for Glassmaking in Železný Brod, product design; 2014–2018 the Faculty of Art and Design of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Ceramic Design studio (BcA.); 2018–2021 the same school (MgA.), with the porcelain bowl collection “D” as his diploma work; 2019–2020 an Erasmus placement in product design at the Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin.

Practice: 2014 Soliter a.s., Jablonec nad Nisou (graphic design); 2015 an internship at PMD Solutions, Cork, Ireland; 2018–2019 designer at Glazura s.r.o. (Torrecid Group), Roudnice nad Labem; 2019 assistant restoration work at Osek Abbey; since 2022 designer at Scoolpt s.r.o. in České Budějovice, where he models objects of various forms and prepares data for robotic 3D printing. In his work he uses 3D-printed moulds and cardboard strips to create unique textures on the surfaces of vessels. Major projects: the SOLO porcelain tea and coffee set (2020, with Antonín Tomášek); the collection of bowls and hollow glass “D” (2021); the 3D-printed concrete sculpture “Body of Sound” (2024); the DOT experiment — applying glaze to fired porcelain by 3D printing.

Awards: the Designblok prize for the best new product by a manufacturer (the SOLO collection), 2nd place at Meat Design Ostrava, the C-IDEA Design Award (Adelaide, Australia), a nomination for the Elle Decoration EDIDA and the Czech International Student Design Award.

He has exhibited in Europe and beyond, among other places at Milano Design Week and at the ceramics festival in Jingdezhen. At Scoolpt he takes part in sculptural works (among others as co-author of “Donuts” with Michal Trpák) and in organising the Art in the City festival.