CAPTURING EMOTIONS IN CLAY:
POTTERY & POETRY AND AYA OGAWA
Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, Pottery & Poetry is a studio formed
by two friends, Maria Baleva and Zornica Genova, who started
a creative project as a means of spending more time together. They make colourful, simple shapes that are expression of play, purity and joy.
SUNSHINE PLATES SET
Neither Baleva nor Genova studied ceramics or art, in fact their day jobs are architecture and law, but a desire to do something tactile
and creative found itself bubbling to the surface for both of them.
SUNSHINE PLATES SET
“We are an architect who has passion for ceramics and a lawyer
who loves juggling with words,” explain the duo.
“Two long-time friends behind the brand Pottery & Poetry –
a spontaneous project that give us the chance to liberate
our true selves by spending more time in the ‘art zone’ of life.”
When the two of them decided to find a creative outlet that combined their love of clay and words,
they founded their studio and within it a world
they can both escape to.
All the pieces are handmade, and hand glazed.
Minor imperfections and quirks left visible in each piece ensures the items all unique.
“We love to emphasise the rough structures and keep some small cracks and imperfections. Sometimes
we accent over the textures of the material.
It differs every time and that is the beauty of it.”
The pieces included in Cluster Crafts online exhibition and shop are part of the Sunshine collection.
They are a series of functional pieces made using traditional slab pottery techniques with white clay and porcelain. To keep a strong sense of character
in the collection, the final shapes are organic
and irregular, and the colours bright and cheerful.
SUNSHINE PLATES SET 2 | BUY THIS PIECE HERE
SUNSHINE BOWL | BUY THIS PIECE HERE
These free shapes and uplifting colours bring energy
to the home spaces they end up in. There is a something summery about the pieces, as if they have captured
some of the optimism of their makers.
“When we work with clay we must be full of inspiration and really calm, it is like meditation, never push yourself too much to do something,” explain the makers.
“When an object goes through one's hands, it vibrates with totally different energy, as if it is alive, this is always felt by the admirer. This is where the difference between industrial design and handmade unique items lies.”
The Pottery & Poetry mission is to inspire people, add colour and joy to people’s homes, and bring their artistic energy
to the everyday.
Before Dawn
Tokyo-based ceramicist Aya Ogawa also came
to ceramics via an unconventional route. A web designer and graphic designer by training, she was introduced
to ceramics at a workshop in Denmark and then went
on to explore ceramics further in a small studio in Osaka. She now runs her own ceramic atelier in Tokyo.
“Coming from a digital background, pottery
was so primitive and I was absorbed in its charm,” explains Ogawa.
Her work is inspired by North European design philosophies, but the materials she uses are from Japanese earth.
“I think it is important to feel the nature (clay)
of my hometown and to understand the characteristics
of each clay,” she says.
Before Dawn Shinogi
Ogawa believes there is magic all around us,
if you chose to see it. Even the smallest details,
like the sound of wind in the trees or the colour
of moonlight can bring a necessary moment of pause and poetry into your day and make you smile.
Like the cheerful feeling of Pottery & Poetry, Ogawa’s pieces
also capture a calm state of mind. Her emotions, she explains,
are held in her work.
“I think my mind is in my works,” says Ogawa, “I value that my state
of mind is calm and comfortable. I don't make things when I'm tired
or frustrated. I don't want that heart to reach my customers.”
While she avoids allowing frustration to be a part of her creative process, Ogawa does allow for spontaneity and play.
“Occasionally, a mischievous idea can suddenly make me adopt
an unexpected method, like a detour. It is very inspiring to my curiosity.”
Not wanting to overcomplicate her work, Ogawa keeps her colour palette simple and refined. In the Cluster collection are pieces
that include Round Totto Vase, which is coloured
with Ogawa’s typical antique blue glaze.
“A fascinating colour that mixes emerald green and sky blue.”
Many of Ogawa’s pieces are centred around a traditional type
of Japanese vase that are often used to hold dainty dried flowers.
She is inspired by nature’s beauty and hopes to bring a sense of peace and joy to her audience.
Round Totto Vase | BUY THIS PIECE HERE
You can buy a selection of Ogawa’s pieces on the Cluster online shop.
Thank you for reading,
Katie De Klee & Cluster Team.