HANDMADE CERAMIC STUDIOS I ADORE
I’ve always collected ceramics the way other people collect art. I’m such a visual person, and there’s something about a piece that has been shaped and finished by hand that I’ll choose over something factory made every time. The little imperfections, the texture, the glaze, the fact that no two pieces are ever quite the same. I love them just as much for how they look as for what they’re meant to do. A beautiful vessel can live almost anywhere. In the kitchen, on a tabletop, styled on a shelf, even in the bathroom holding toothbrushes. I’m constantly finding new places for pottery in our home. So consider this my running list of ceramic studios and artists I adore. Some I’ve discovered while traveling, others through my late night sourcing rabbit holes, and I’ll keep adding to it as I find more. If you want to shop some of my favorite handmade ceramic finds along the way, I’ve gathered them all in my ShopMy collection here: my handmade ceramics collection
Kordal Studio
Brooklyn, New York
I came across Kordal Studio and immediately fell in love with the patterns in her work. Mandy Kordal works with nerikomi, the traditional Japanese technique of layering different colored clays together to create these incredibly intricate patterns. What I find so beautiful is that the pattern isn’t painted or added afterward. It’s actually created within the clay itself. Each piece is built by hand from slabs of this patterned clay, so no two can ever be exactly the same. Her inspiration comes from long walks and the landscapes around her, which you can really see in the earthy colors and almost organic movement of the patterns. Mandy originally worked in knitwear, and I think that background makes her approach to ceramics even more interesting. There’s something very textile like about the way she works with color, pattern and repetition, except now she’s doing it in clay.
You can explore more of Mandy's designs at kordalstudio.com and on Instagram at @kordalstudio
Henry Holland Studio
Hackney, London
Henry Holland’s second act might be my favorite reinvention story in design. From House of Holland slogan tees to a ceramics studio in Hackney, his fashion background still feels very much present in the work. He uses nerikomi, marbling colored clays together to create bold graphic patterns, from checkerboard butter dishes to sculptural marble mugs. I love how playful and confident the pieces are. You could never mistake it for anyone else's.
You can explore more of Henry's designs at henryhollandstudio.com and on Instagram at @henryhollandstudio
Mano Mani
Bayonne, France
I first found Julie Boucherat's work through Brutal Ceramics, and I never forgot it. MANO MANI is her free and independent label, a domestic arts laboratory run from her studio boutique in Bayonne in the Basque Country. Julie is a self taught ceramicist who spent seven years as a design journalist in Paris before returning to clay, the material her mother introduced her to as a child. Her stoneware pieces have raw lines and rich textures, glazed in her own researched palette of natural tones and matt finishes. She fires in Anagama wood kilns, and her inspirations run from Japanese wabi sabi to primitive African forms. My favorite pieces are her Ikebana vases, they have these clever little built in notches so you can slide stems straight in making even the simplest arrangement look beautiful. They arrive in a wooden box and make the perfect gift.
You can explore more of Julie's designs at manomani.fr and on Instagram at @bonjourmanomani
Ana Art Boutique Studio
Istanbul, Turkey
Ana Art Boutique is one of my favorite late night sourcing discoveries. Fatemeh, who goes by Anna, runs her ceramics studio from Istanbul, creating delicate handmade mugs, incense burners and objects with a distinctly Middle Eastern soul. I especially love her evil eye pieces, and she takes custom requests too. She has more than 2,500 Etsy sales and hundreds of five star reviews, which is always reassuring when ordering handmade pieces from across the world. Everything arrives beautifully packaged too.
You can explore more of Ana's designs at etsy.com/shop/AnaArtBoutiquestudio and on Instagram at @anna_art_studi0
Lëtte Ceramics
Bordeaux, France
Lëtte is the work of Lisa Henriette Huber-Youmans, a ceramicist making everything by hand in her little atelier in Bordeaux. Her stoneware cups are coated in flowing, layered glazes, so no two ever come out alike. I love that each one is a true one of a kind. She makes stackable collections that mix and match at the breakfast table, and every piece is dishwasher and microwave safe, made to be used daily and kept for years. She also makes the prettiest porcelain earrings, some finished with 24k gold lustre. Each collection comes with its own little story, and she donates a portion of certain sales to wildlife causes, which I love even more.
You can explore more of Lisa's designs at letteceramics.com and on Instagram at @lette.ceramics
Benna Co
Melbourne, Australia
Kelly Murphy originally trained as a painter, and the second you see her ceramics, it makes complete sense. Her plates and platters almost look like little abstract paintings, with swirling glazes, unexpected color combinations and no two ever coming out quite the same. She actually started out selling vintage ceramics and began making her own when she couldn’t find enough planters to keep up with demand, which might be my favorite origin story on this list. I especially love her party plates. They’re colorful and a little quirky and make even an ordinary table feel more fun.
You can explore more of Kelly's designs at benna.com.au and on Instagram at @benna_co
Altamar Ceramic Studio
Barranco, Lima, Peru
This one is personal. It's one of my favorite discoveries from our time in Lima. Altamar begins with a beautiful wooden doorway and a tiny window that invites you to peek inside before you step into a world of handcrafted ceramics. We had the pleasure of meeting co-founder Nagib Zariquiey, who started the studio in 2017 alongside his mother Diana Morcos. Their work is deeply tied to the sea they both love. Vessels shaped like coral and textured vases shaped by Peru's coast. And you can find their work on the tables of some of Peru's most celebrated restaurants, including Central and Maido. The moment we walked in, we found pieces we instantly fell in love with and knew we wanted to bring home. They have a permanent place in our collection now and remind us of Lima every time we use them.
You can explore more of their designs at altamarceramics.com and on Instagram at @altamar.ceramics
Hitomi Hosono
London, England
Hitomi Hosono creates porcelain vessels that look almost as if they’ve been reclaimed by nature. Hundreds of individually hand carved leaves and flowers cover every surface until the vessel underneath nearly disappears. The London based Japanese artist won the inaugural Perrier-Jouët Arts Salon Prize, and her pieces can take a year or more to complete. They're held in the permanent collections of the British Museum and the V&A. It's obsessive work, and so delicate. A whole garden rendered in porcelain.
You can explore more of Hitomi's designs at hitomihosono.com and on Instagram at @hitomihosono
I’ll keep adding to this list as I find more ceramicists whose work I can’t stop thinking about. If there is someone you think I should know about, I would love to hear!! And if you want to shop my favorite handmade ceramic finds in one place, they are all gathered here: my handmade ceramics collection
