When CAN you call yourself a ceramicist? Kate Clark's @K_ceramics beautiful hand carved ceramics are sold across the country, from the Outer Hebrides to Cornwall, and even over to France. Her many fans include three generations of one family who all independently buy her work; and she still doesn't quite think she's earned the word "potter." She still adds that she's "also a Graphic Designer, as that's what my degree is in."
In our lovely chat, Kate talks openly about her journey to being a full time ceramicist:
"I've had loads of lessons, I've been taught by fantastic people," she told me, "but I haven't got the stamp, as it were."
But when you're making - and selling exquisite work - what more of an endorsement do you need? Kate's passion for pottery began while living with her family in New York City, she followed her kids to an after-school pottery class, fell in love watching them make things, asked if adults could join in, and never really left. She says her first bowl was awful but her teacher persuaded her to persevere and then it clicked.
We also talk about:
Re-inventing yourself in a new city
The buzz of selling your work to people who fall in love with it
Learning to throw from two different teachers on opposite sides of Manhattan, then not owning a wheel of her own until lockdown forced her hand
Why hand-carving makes almost every piece one of a kind - and why that's a nightmare to price, because "it's not just that piece, it's planning the carving, it's the act of doing
The stockist who spent months patiently waiting for Kate to feel ready, after Kate turned down several early offers because being asked for stock felt overwhelming
The particular strain of imposter syndrome that seems to follow talented ceramicists specifically - despite years of teaching, a beautifully considered brand, and genuinely excellent work
The message from a customer that told her three generations of one family buy her work, and why that means so much to her
Bringing her graphic design background into building a considered, cohesive ceramics brand from the very first pot she ever labelled
Find Kate's work at https://kceramicsstudio.com/ and on Instagram @K_ceramics
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