A dedication to the composition of everyday materials identifies her practice, intertwining the cultural background they carry, as well as their environmental impact. To research & design becomes a way to learn craftsmanship, retrace tradition, and share knowledge by thinking and acting in an interdisciplinary way.
HAMA @ creative residency Arita
For Ola: a glaze for The Watchersoon
Marko Ivicsoon`
vuur collective
Material Assemblies @ TU Wien
Make no bones about
Raw.obj @ Princenhof Delft
Quenched Asbestos w/ Winnie Herbstein
In Presence of Your Absence
Conversing with Matter
Dordrecht Museum bone china w/ Bruno Baietto
FU Review N11
Sea Silt w/ Humade
FU Review N1
Creative Residency Arita, Japan
2024
The project began with a gesture of preservation of form, material, and process. Rather than introducing new objects, the focus shifted to reinterpreting the traditional hama, the porcelain props used to avoid cracking and helping the shrinking. The large majority of objects made in porcelain are fired on a hama, that is daily tossed away after one use.
A large quantity of hama was once produced in Arita, Japan. Following the retirement of a local Hama maker, the Saga Potters Association acquired his moulds to support continuity among regional kilns. Through this initiative, the project gained access to communal moulds—offering a foundation rooted in the region’s ceramic heritage.
Among a vast and largely undocumented variety, the moulds selected were those used by the recently assigned Arita kiln, Housem. Renting these moulds eliminated the need for new forms, ensuring alignment with shapes already integrated in local kiln practices.
In its early phase, the project produced over 200 Hamas in three sizes, using a jiggering machine typically reserved for mass production. With the support of Eguchi-san from the Saga Research Laboratory, this system was adapted to suit a more exploratory context. The Hamas were kept leather-hard for several weeks—paused in transition—while the next design phase unfolded.
Further development required an understanding of porcelain variation and its subtle shifts during drying and firing. Theproject drew from the expertise of master mould maker Mr. Yamaguchi. Parallel to the form-making, the project investigated the archival potential of colour—specifically the pink hue of bisque porcelain. Using nerikomi techniques, pigments were blended into the porcelain body, with extensive testing to determine the ideal ratios reproducing the pale pinky shade of the bisqued porcelain. Under the guidance of Masami Kuwabata, three porcelain grades were mixed, tested, and refined. Over time, the process established its own rhythm—of timing, thickness, and drying—repeated across multiple forms.
The outcomes were presented in a Tashiro Japanese-Western house in Arita,a symbolic hybrid site combining harmoniously and sharing a blend of cultures. Displayed on traditional green crates used for porcelain transport, the pieces reflected a continuous dialogue between tradition and its reinterpretation.