Homes + Decor

3 Avant-Garde Ceramists Create Sculptural Pieces That Look Like Museum-Worthy Art

Porcelain and clay get dramatic and scene-stealing upgrades from BZippy & Co., Irving Place Studio, and Object & Totem

November 11, 2015

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BZippy & Co.

In the world of traditional ceramic arts, Bari Ziperstein’s eclectic hand-molded pieces are defining a creative shift in the industry. “I’m inspired by the rich California deserts and Brutalist Cold War architecture,” she says of her housewares and jewelry collections. While she works with a unique combination of materials, such as terra-cotta paired with soft black rope, Ziperstein’s playfully honest aesthetic is rooted in history. Shown: Bari Ziperstein at her studio in Los Angeles’s Glassell Park neighborhood.bzippyandcompany.com
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Ziperstein’s unglazed XL terra-cotta pots are inspired by what she calls “primitive textures.”
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Stoneware vases in Ziperstein’s blue and white series where she took her design cues from the architecture of historic brick facades.
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Ziperstein works with terra-cotta and other types of clay.

© 2015 by Dale Strumpell

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Irving Place Studio

Dora de Larios and her daughter, Sabrina Judge, started Irving Place Studio three years ago with the idea of bridging the gap between artisanal methods and industrial precision. “Dora has been a ceramist for 58 years,” says Judge. “We get inspired the most while rummaging through her archives of past work. Something always seems to spark.” Shown: The Los Angeles workshop of Irving Place Studio is what Sabrina Judge calls “an ever-expanding space.”irvingplacestudio.com
Copyright 2013

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The Camper XL Everything Slab platter features stamps that were hand-carved by Dora de Larios.
Copyright 2013

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Made of hand-carved porcelain, this 15"-tall vase was designed by Judge.

Copyright 2013

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The Medium Organic Basket vase has a white-glazed interior and a unglazed exterior.
Photo by Dustin Fenstermacher ©2015 Dustin Fenstermacher. All rights reserved. This photograph has been registered with the U.S. Copyright office.

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Object & Totem

Working in a small studio space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Julianne Ahn started experimenting with clay four years ago and never looked back. “The process of wheel throwing was a perfect way to challenge myself,” she says. “It always feels more satisfying to put in a day’s worth of work when I use my hands.” When it comes to inspiration, she finds herself being continuously drawn to the infinite shades of white. Shown: Julianne Ahn at the wheel in her Greenpoint, Brooklyn, studio.objectandtotem.com
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The Infinite Dollop Tall vase in antique ivory.

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这hand-thrown花瓶以马毛装饰nd sugar as it was pulled from a hot kiln.
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The unglazed Red Eye Moon jar was handmade outside of Ahn’s studio in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.