The Last Brushstrokes: Why the Ottolenghi FEAST Plate Won Design’s Highest Honor
Made the cut
When 25 Elle Decoration editors voted for the FEAST collection at Milan Design Week 2022, Ivo Bisignano was still alive.
By August 2023, he was gone.
The abstract face on this Ottolenghi FEAST plate, hand-painted by Bisignano himself, represents some of his final work. We scored it 8.6 out of 10. Here is exactly what that number means.
What the EDIDA Award Actually Validates
The Elle Deco International Design Awards gather editors-in-chief from 25 Elle Decoration magazines worldwide. They vote across 15 categories at the Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan. Previous winners include Tom Dixon and Patricia Urquiola.
In 2022, the Tableware category went to FEAST by Ivo Bisignano for Serax. Not Ottolenghi for Serax. The award credited the artist, not the chef.
This distinction matters. Ottolenghi’s cookbooks have sold over 5 million copies. His name sells tableware. But Bisignano’s brushwork won the award.
The abstract face you see is not random decoration. Bisignano had what he called “an obsession for the O. The O of a face, a circle, a dot. The O of Ottolenghi.” Every curve on this plate encodes the chef’s initial, transformed into art by an artist who trained as an architect and illustrated for Prada and Missoni before turning to ceramics.
Why WOW Scored 9 Out of 10
Our WOW dimension measures uniqueness and discovery factor. This plate earned a 9 because it exists in a strange position: known in design circles through the EDIDA Award, unknown to mainstream shoppers browsing Crate and Barrel.
Ottolenghi brings recognition. Bisignano’s art adds discovery. The combination means your recipient likely has never encountered it, even if they own every Ottolenghi cookbook.
The plate’s story deepens with time rather than fading. Bisignano passed away on August 17, 2023, and was buried in his hometown of Regalbuto, Sicily. His husband, architect Alex Meitlis, designed every Ottolenghi restaurant.
This plate comes from the same creative partnership that built those spaces. When you give it, you are giving design history from an artist whose hands no longer create.
Why MOMENT Scored 9 Out of 10
Our MOMENT dimension measures the gift-giving experience itself. The physical interaction, the unwrapping, the recipient’s immediate reaction. This plate scores 9 because of what happens when someone lifts it from the box.
The weight registers first. Dense stoneware, surprisingly heavy for its size. Reviewers on Amazon note this specifically. Then the face. Abstract brushstrokes in earthy orange, green, and black against cream glaze. Visible handwork on every line.
One verified purchaser wrote: “The finish is really smooth and high quality.” Another called it “MOMA or gallery worthy.”
The cream glaze serves a functional purpose beyond aesthetics. It showcases colorful food, which is the entire Ottolenghi philosophy: basil greens, tomato reds, lemon yellows against a neutral canvas.
When she serves mezze on this plate, the face looks up at guests. When they ask about it, she has a story. The plate becomes part of her performance repertoire.
Why GLOW Scored 8 Out of 10
GLOW measures visual and sensory qualities. This plate earns an 8 for hand-painted stoneware with visible brushstrokes in earthy orange, green, and black. It photographs beautifully against food. The design intentionality shows in how the abstract face frames the serving surface rather than competing with it.
One honest caveat: the back is not fully glazed and can pick up stains from tomato-based dishes. A reviewer noted this specifically. The front, however, maintains the smooth finish that earned consistent praise across 40 Amazon reviews averaging 4.4 stars.
Why TRUST Scored 8 Out of 10
TRUST measures verification confidence. We triangulated this product across multiple source types: the EDIDA Award recognition from 25 Elle Decoration editors, 4.4 stars from 40 Amazon reviews, and press coverage in Elle Decor, Wallpaper, and Livingetc.
The combination of institutional validation (design award), consumer feedback (Amazon reviews), and editorial coverage (design press) produces a high-confidence recommendation.
Ottolenghi himself provided the brand voice context in Elle Decor: “There is a lightness and happiness that comes with an array of bold colors. As the name of the range suggests, this is a celebration, and my kind of celebration is pretty noisy.”
The plate embodies what the chef calls “outrageous casualness,” formal quality with informal spirit.
The Final Score: 8.6
We calculate final scores using weighted dimensions: GLOW at 25%, WOW at 35%, MOMENT at 25%, and TRUST at 15%. The math produces 8.6, well above our 8.0 minimum for featuring on SleekNova.
At $106, this Ottolenghi FEAST plate competes with plain Crate and Barrel platters running $60 to $80. The gap buys you an EDIDA Award winner, a named artist collaboration that became a memorial piece, and visible hand-painting where factory platters offer only glaze.
The credentials validate themselves. The brushstrokes cannot be replicated. The artist’s hands no longer exist.
Who This Is Perfect For
Anyone who owns Plenty or Jerusalem and wants to bring that world into their kitchen. Hosts who want guests asking questions. Home cooks who photograph their plates. Readers of Elle Decor or Wallpaper. People building a collected kitchen where every piece has a story.
For housewarming gifts, this plate enters what anthropologists call the performance repertoire: objects demonstrated to future guests, explained over wine, pieces that prompt stories.
Unlike flowers or wine that disappear by dessert, a serving plate becomes infrastructure for every meal she serves. The face looks up at guests for years. Bisignano’s brushstrokes outlast the restaurants.
$106 for a permanent seat at her table.
