Duvel, Belgium’s best selling speciality golden ale, launched the Duvel Design Your Own 
Glassware Competition at the beginning of November 2011 following on from the success of its limited edition glassware collection.
Giving young creative talent the opportunity to propel their artwork into the public eye, Duvel has announced the 12 finalists as selected by Duvel fans who voted for their favourite designs on Facebook and www.duvelcollection.com.
The 12 finalists (3 per participating country: the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and France) have been invited to attend an event in Paris on the 2nd of March to celebrate their achievement. At this event, the 12 glasses will be judged by a jury made up of Duvel representatives and international artists who will select the overall winner to be part of the next Duvel Collection. Runners up will be gifted with 50 glasses each featuring their bespoke design.
The UK finalists are Columbian-born artist, Carlos Franklin; London College of Fashion student, Alexander Smith, and Birmingham City University student, Anne Pawlak.
Carlos Franklin created a ‘broken Duvel’ design. Landscape and architecture are recurrent themes in his work with a focus on deteriorated buildings, ruins and cracks. The latter, an important inspiration for his Duvel design, represent strength, something that changes or transforms. Whilst working on this design Franklin recalled the installation made by Doris Salcedo at the Tate
Modern’s turbine hall where a large crack on the floor represented immigrants in many territories.
Anne Pawlak’s ‘sip of hops’ incorporates her affinity for pattern and texture into a design which references the product while refraining from the literal. The dynamic application of line in the interpretation of hops leaves is reminiscent of the striking imagery and spontaneity of expressionist painters such as Jackson Pollock, or the freely scribbled, calligraphic-style paintings of Cy Twombly. Pawlak is currently in her second year at Birmingham City University studying BA Theatre, Performance and Event design.
Alexander Smith, creator of ‘Duvalways half full’ is a fashion design student at the London College of Fashion and is in his final year. After seeing a poster advertising the Duvel competition at his university, Smith scribbled down ideas whilst eating lunch from which he created his final design. His inspiration came from his graphic approach to life and his lunchtime doodle.
From left to right: Carlos Franklin, Anne Pawlak and Alexander Smith’s designs
For further information, please contact Julie Carolan at R&R Teamwork
(Julie@randr.co.uk / 0207 384 1333)