Tell us about your practice and how you came to making?

I took my first classes in ceramics after work and was just so excited to play. It was really refreshing to be so new and really just so naive at something. The failing, the acceptance of a ‘wonky-ness’ was all a part of the learning process - which expanded into my overall mentality. Working within the bounds of clay taught me to be patient, less controlling and slower in my actions which in turn brought a lot of joy into my life. As I became more aware of how much ceramics fulfilled me, I slowly transitioned to actually selling my work and now am privileged to have it as my job.

Do you have a ritual when it comes to making/designing work?

I don't draw or plan out ideas per-say, I work with the clay itself to figure things out. Iteration and quantity are what I lean into when developing designs. Generally I am not planning out my studio time very in depth, I start with molding clay into a ball, pinching away at it until I've made something and then a feeling emerges of what I want to make next. I aim to be as present in the moment as possible - focusing on the subtle sounds of working with clay, counting out the rhythm of my pinching and admiring the way the clay asks to be cared for - that is what keeps me making.

Your work holds onto the marks of its own making — fingerprints, impressions, irregularities. Why is it important to leave traces of human touch within your work?

The process of working with clay is literally everything to me, it gives me the most fulfillment. I try to capture the movement of the making in the static final piece. Highlighting the ‘making’ in the final pieces celebrates the play, the work, the time, the materials that were used. I want to freeze those moments whether they be by chance or intention because they all bring me joy.

Pinching is one of the oldest and most elemental hand-building techniques. What first drew you to it, and how has your relationship with it changed as it's become so central to your practice?

There is the tactile joy of squishing clay that I believe is innate to us all and then there is the meditative aspect - slow repetitive motions is just such a contradiction to how our modern society works. To be slow and present in a moment is a huge privilege and of all the clay building methods, pinching requires this the most. There is also an aspect of accepting a ‘wonky-ness’ to something that clay taught me early on that I still strive for. We tend to speak about ‘perfection’ as an attainable thing yet it is so subjective and therefore not really actually anything achievable. So I celebrate the marks of making in my work to prove to myself that I determine what is perfect to myself.

We know that using a wood kiln for firing is has a uncontrollable aspect to it. How does that unpredictability factor into your process, and what does the wood-fired result give your work that other firing methods can't?

As I celebrate MY process in my final pieces, I also want to celebrate the kiln’s contribution. In Gas and Wood fueled kilns, there is so much room for collaboration, moments in the firing are frozen in the final piece. Because of my glazing methods though, throughout all of my work there is a sense of movement and celebration of texture that impacts the final look of the pieces. I use my hands a lot in glazing- sponges, brushes and water are my co-partners in a fast pace, reactive experience in which I try to capture the movement in the static final piece.

Your pieces range from tiny pinch bowls to pitchers with double handles and ruffled platforms — there's a lot of formal curiosity across the collection. How does a new idea take shape for you, and how do you know when a piece has gone far enough?

I work things out in the clay itself, its very hard for me to sketch ideas, so all the curiosity youre seeing is because I have a curiosity while making! Bringing work fully to the final form is what allows me and my art to grow. Because I prioritize growth and learning, I try not to make many negative assessments of pieces because its not as helpful as taking the bits I do like into the next piece I make. Generally I do sit with my pieces for a while before showcasing or selling them, they need to be seen amongst the rest of my work and in different lights/settings to really make an impact on what I do next.

Is there anything you've dreamy of making but haven't yet?

So many of my shapes would translate really well into lighting but I haven't dived in to exploring that just yet. Similarly I want to explore more with light and shadow in my work - I have been working on berry bowls a lot because of the holes that play nicely in the texture and I want to bring that across other vessels too. The combination of that into lighting is so exciting to me but I dont think its necessarily the right time for me to dive in.

What's next for you?

Ive been outgrowing the spaces Im in and am searching for personal studio spaces. This would be a huge change and perhaps it may not happen but if it does it would open up so many opportunities for me. I really want a space that I can craft work alongside my finished pieces, (right now these are separate) as I think it would allow me to better develop my creative language.