We admit it, we can’t say no to a pretty mug. And if that mug is pastel-colored, the temptation is even greater. So you might imagine our excitement went we first came across Lindsey Hampton’ pastel ceramics. The multidisciplinary artist and designer first made a name for herself as a graphic artist, but her transition to ceramics proved to be the right choice, with almost 31k fans on Instagram alone.
And with her background in design, her products are both functional and unapologetically hip. “My design background has 100% influenced my ceramic work,” she admitted in an interview with Sight Unseen. “I didn’t set out to make that happen, it was a very natural progression. As I was learning how to work with clay I didn’t make the connection right away and I thought pieces were supposed to be earthy and organic. This was previous to the new wave of contemporary ceramics, Instagram and Pinterest and it was harder to come across things that weren’t as traditional.”
But as she became more comfortable with the medium she was able to control better her finished products. Still, she admits that the process of hand-making ceramics throws up all sorts of new challenges, such as glazes reacting in unexpected ways and clay warping in the kiln.
“I like knowing that a vessel can just be a vessel and that its function is determined by how it fits into your life and home,” she says. “There are certain things I make, that I’ve purposely made with that idea in mind, and other things that have a more obvious function or others that are purely sculptural. I love it when people tell me they use a mug as a plant pot or a plant pot as a soup bowl or a soup bowl as… anything. The world is everyone’s ceramic oyster!”
Take a look at some of our favorite pieces.
