I want my work to make people question where things come from, to rethink the materials they use, the objects they own, and the stories embedded in them.
What do you make?
‘I work with wild clay, material that I collect myself from different landscapes, for example in Sicily, in Italy and in different areas across the Netherlands. I process it by hand, mixing it with water until it becomes slip clay. Over time I have gathered so much of it that I’m literally running out of space. I’ve started sharing it with others through workshops and events, because it is not really mine.The clay belongs to the land.’
Do you notice differences in material between regions?
‘Absolutely. Sicily and the Netherlands for example, couldn’t be more different. In Sicily, the land is dry and cracked, almost like a clay desert where nothing can grow. People have even abandoned some of those rural areas. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, everything is about water, how to keep it out or let it in. The clay here tells a story of the life between humans and nature: river clay, sea clay, polders, dikes. It is all part of the landscape’s history. The Dutch soil has been shaped a.o. by ancient floods from the Rhine, used by Romans, potters, and craftspeople for centuries.’
What do you explore for (w)aardewerk?
‘I make stackable ceramic units that form a coffe table, made from locally collected clay from the floodplains of Dutch rivers as part of Alluvial Ground, my research project into the ecological, cultural and political dimensions of clay. The geometry of these units refer to polders and sea defences, thus connecting material, manufacturing process and landscape. It emphasises how local clay practices not only produce objects, but also reflect on land management, raw materials and climate change, advocating for care, resilience and place-based knowledge. For this project, I use different types of clay from quarries, river floodplains and brick factories. I processed it entirely by hand before slip-casting it into custom molds. This is a low-impact method that minimizes industrial intervention and re-establishes a direct connection between craft and local, natural resources.’
Why clay?
‘Clay connects me deeply to specific places. It is part of the landscape, part of the story of the earth itself. Each type of clay has its own character, and you have to understand how it behaves. I studied industrial design, which is all about control and precision, but working with clay taught me to let go, to see making as a dialogue with the material. It is fascinating to watch how clay responds, clay itself decides a lot of what happens. It is also very physical, it roots you in the environment you are working in.’
What is is the next step?
‘I’m developing a Clay Archive. I want it to become a platform, part physical, part digital, that documents and shares knowledge about wild clay and sustainable making. Everyone working with local clay does so much trial and error, but that knowledge often stays private. The idea is to create an open archive where designers, researchers, and craftspeople can contribute, sharing materials, processes, and stories. It is not just about clay either, but about other materials too, plaster, glazes, molds and the environmental impact they have. I want to make this information accessible and create a space where collaboration replaces competition. A place where people can learn where their materials come from, how they are connected to the climate and the land, and how they can use them more responsibly.’
With (w)aardewerk, Crafts Council Nederland draws attention to urgent issues surrounding the extraction of raw materials in relation to the production of ceramics.
'Participating in (w)aardewerk has opened my eyes to doing much more with reuse. I've collected a lot of waste, and there's so much I can still do with it.'
'Tadelakt is a waterproof, glossy plaster made from lime, applied on top of a base coat mixture with soil, fibers and sand.'
