The Art of Design Issue 61 2023 | Page 72

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Naked Clay Ceramics is a collection of quiet , tactile , handmade stoneware and porcelain homeware made by Carla Sealey . Originally designed in 2017 , the collection is minimal in style and inspired by the colours and textures of nature .

NAKED CLAY CERAMICS

Using a combination of hand building and slip casting I make everything by hand in small batches in my studio in Bedfordshire . Each piece whether hand built or slip cast in handmade moulds , is unique . Intentionally designed with no glaze on the outside for a tactile finish . Made to be held and used as part of everyday life . Each piece offers the natural feel of naked fired clay in your hands . And a moment for connection and grounding , celebration and joy . the sea salt on your lips . And suddenly you have a yen for warm salted caramel …
… If you live under the wide Bedfordshire skies as I do , or the inky unpolluted skies of Snowdonia , as you look out over Cardigan Bay , you might see the stars . A sprinkling of bright little dots , maybe some with their own stargazers . And the comets . Streaks that appear out of nowhere and disappear back into the dark . say ‘ hey , this is my story , you go get your own …..’!
Spirit is available online through the Naked Clay Ceramics website or through selected stockists ( see website for details ).
You can also find Naked Clay Ceramics on Instagram www . instagram . com / nakedclayceramics /
Spirit – a new design for 2023 . Slip cast and hand built in a new black stoneware with brushstrokes of porcelain slip that echo the energy around us in nature .
Always there is the sea . Gentle waves , or foam topped ripples that run up on you when you ’ re not paying attention . As fast as you back pedal , they still catch you halfway up your calf , and you have to laugh . Or those waves that crash themselves furiously against the rocks while you watch from high on the cliff , thinking you ’ re safe . But as you walk away you taste
Then , when you think the story ’ s finished , you turn over your treasure and find it continues across the bottom . And as it sits upside down on the drying rack or on a shelf you can still enjoy the story as it plays out over the base .
If you ’ re sharing your moment with someone , as you tip your mug , your bowl , right back , to catch that last mouthful , they ’ ll point to the base and say ‘ what on earth ’ s that on the bottom ?’ And you ’ ll smack their hand away and www . nakedclayceramics . com
Photography : Carla Sealey