Barbara Stelmachowska I Designer, researcher, Doctor of Fine Arts.

She graduated from University of Arts in Poznan and the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław.

Winner of the Haier Design Prize by IF competition, finalist of the international MakeMe! competition. She is the curator of the Craft Lab 3d project and the PlanT exhibition.

Her work is focused on porcelain and pushing its boundaries. She conducts speculative projects and technological experiments, including scanning and 3D printing in ceramics.

Her creations are strongly influenced by sustainable, socially engaged design, which was her starting point as her career began. Even when she creates porcelain tableware, her pieces often convey a broader story.

"In my work with porcelain, I drift between traditional craft techniques used to create objects and tell stories, and experimentation with the material itself, pushing its boundaries.

It is a journey between historical burdens and the pressure of factory precision, and a search for my own language. Sometimes I am drawn to perfect whiteness and smoothness, but more and more often I seek roughness, uneven edges, and exposed seams.

Sometimes I decide to do with porcelain everything that should not be done with it.

Nevertheless, I approach ceramics as a medium for telling stories that are very close to people. As close as food — because we usually eat from ceramic dishes. We hold them in our hands every day, touch our lips with them as if we were kissing them. Although we rarely think about it, they influence us. When designing them, I design everyday gestures and small rituals."