Kristen Lim Tung

Photographed by Saty + Pratha

The notion of chance, in all of its unexpected manifestations, profoundly influences the ceramics of Toronto-based visual artist Kristen Lim Tung. Working entirely by hand, Lim Tung is fascinated with the plasticity of clay, which she describes as a heartbreaking material that requires an abundance of love and unflappable patience. Aesthetically speaking, Lim Tung readily experiments with her medium, as opposed to following rigorous expectations. The resulting forms are imbued with a cheeky, biomorphic surrealism that exudes playfulness in spades.

DA Ceramics

Photo courtesy of DA Ceramics.

Canadian artist Dasha Valakhanovitch approaches her work with the gusto of an aesthetic adventurer. Conceiving her ceramics as an exploration of material and architectonic form, Valakhanovitch applies unorthodox tools and innovative techniques to her handmade objects. Each design, whether fashioned from stoneware or porcelain, is individually executed and handled at least 20 times before completion, ensuring a one-of-a-kind finished product. A conscious interplay between ceramics and painting elaborates on the notion of mark-making through art objects, recalling the gestural spontaneity of abstract expressionism. As a result, individual pieces contain their own unique origin story, ready to be uncovered and unravelled.

Ibkki

Photo courtesy of IBKKI.

The artisanal ingenuity of North African craftworking has had a profound influence on Paris designers Azel and Youri of IBKKI. Collaboration with makers from the cultural hot spot of Numidia, a prolonged creative period—usually five to eight months—and a close symbiotic relationship with local ceramic specialists ensure the authenticity of each piece. Using clay indigenous to the Kabylia region in Algeria, Azel and Youri have set out to avoid traditional earthenware tropes, instead exploring unique silhouettes inspired by Kabylian culture. Multiple firings are required to create the resonant, multi-layered hues that give the pieces in IBKKI’s sophomore collection a textured veneer that complements their formal experimentation.

Natalie Weinberger

Photo courtesy of Natalie Weinberger

New York-based ceramicist Natalie Weinberger’s work spans a plethora of forms. Her decorative vessels, lighting fixtures, and dinnerware are utilitarian in nature, yet full of variation. Using a pottery wheel alongside hand-building and casting techniques, Weinberger creates stoneware lamps that illuminate any interior space, with sculptural silhouettes and surfaces that recall geologic formations. While the individual designs vary significantly in form, they’re all guided by an overarching attention to proportion and material.