Making Connections

Andrew and Anna Hellman, cofounders of the tableware company Teroforma, are professional matchmakers. Neither designers nor craftspeople in their own right, the Connecticut-based partners travel the world seeking out talented designers and forging relationships with complementary traditional artisan studios. “Maybe it’s the story, the product, the person,” Andrew says of the pairings. “It’s that relationship that we want to build and those stories that we want to tell through the work. There’s a depth behind the pieces.”

Launched in August, Teroforma has already commissioned a range of products in glass, ceramics, linen, felt, stone, and steel from a collaborative network spanning 22 countries. Each and every piece credits both designer and producer. The goal is to offer wares that people want to keep, not just because they are beautiful and easy to mix and match but also because they tell the history of their creation. “There’s something magical about being surprised by the result and by not squashing it,” Andrew says. “There’s real power in that surprise.”