15 October 2009

Jacques van der Merwe

Meet designer, artist and founder of Dado, Jacques van der Merwe.

Jacques van der Merwe's nursery school teacher once asked him: 'What would you like to be when you grow up'. His answer: "An interesting person".

He obviously meant what he said. With a passion for art and design Jacques has certainly created a name for himself in the creative world.

Attending art school in the South African city of Pretoria, he excelled in a range of artistic pursuits and, at the age of 22, was recognised for his talent - being selected as one of four international artists chosen to contribute to an outdoor sculpture for the launch of the, then new, BMW 5-series.

In 1997 Jacques founded his company Dado Creations (Pty) Limited, which initially made one-off objects and décor tiles of faux marble, but now takes advantage of the latest state-of-the-art European technologies.

Jacques passion for creating classical objects and providing the best service to their clients is something he has instilled in his staff, helping to give Dado Creations a positive reputation around the world.

Since 2005 Dado products have regularly been exhibited at the annual CERSAIE - the bathroomware and tile design and technology showcase - in Italy; while Dado Australia opened in Brisbane in 2008, making a reality Jacques' vision of serving markets in the East.

Jacques has led his engineering team in the development of the unique DADOquartz material. DADOquartz does not only have exceptional properties, but an appeal reminiscent of fine ancient marble.

"This material is what I dreamt about," Jacques says. "It has exactly that elusive quality a sculptor is looking for."

Jacques' unique passion for art and skills in sculpture continue to ensure Dado's success around the globe.

Jacques has designed the 'Zuri' bath and basin, which is available from Rogerseller in Australia. You can also find DADOquartz baths and basins at selected retailers in Australia.

dadoaustralia.com.au