In the Press

Joanna from Anthology Magazine says:

"Quiet, gentle, and lovely, these ceramic pieces are made at the hands of Yasha Butler. These sloping and organic, irregular pieces are reminiscent of a sweet poem. They don’t command your attention by screaming, but instead are subtle enough to keep the viewer engaged and curious. The wobble of a plate’s rim, the quirky wide base of a bowl, even the irregular curve of a spoon’s handle—the entire story that they tell is one of subtlety and imperfection. Yasha’s statement of work even declares, “I want the curves and slopes of my vessels to pull you softly into a moment of silent contemplation.” It is safe to say that Yasha has accomplished her mission."

Visit the full blog post here.

In The Studio

Here are some snapshots from the second half of September:
(Clockwise from the top)

Mineral bowls drying
Lithic vessels about to be fired in the kiln
Mineral bowls being glazed
Lithic vessels made for a Luce et Studio order
Mineral bowls in the making
Gazing from above onto the small Lithic vessels
A view from my Barcelona studio
A larger Lithic vessel posing on the table as I contemplate its form

Luce et Studio Exhibition

These are images from my exhibition at Luce et Studio in San Diego.  The opening of the show on August 3rd was amazing with so many great visitors, delicious food and fun music.  A big thanks to everyone who came!

Table Story One
Ceramics by Yasha Butler - Tables by Jennifer Luce
5070 Santa Fe Street 'A', San Diego, CA 92109

In The Studio

These are the results of my color tests.  I tested 1%, 3% and 5% of each stain in both a clear glaze and in Limoges porcelain.  The top photo shows the mini test bowls before the firing and the rest of the images show the final colors.  Of course, as always, the colors are not exactly what I expected, but I think there are a lot of beautiful ones.  I am especially into the really pale glazes and the deep purply-blue porcelain.

In The Studio

I got a request to produce my tableware set in a color scheme of pale blues and greens.  I had been wanting to explore these colors myself so this little nudge was all that I needed to get going.  I like to add color both to my clay and to my glazes and you never know what the right percentage will be.  This leads to lots and lots of test tiles (or in my case mini test bowls).  I am testing 6 different stains at 1%, 3% and 5%.  I can't wait to see how they all turn out.  Sometimes the most beautiful ones are the ones you least expect.

In The Studio

This past Sunday I was in the studio putting some final touches on my bowls (for the IKSV Istanbul Design Biennial Collection), before loading them into the kiln for their initial bisque firing.

In The Studio

This week I have been mixing up batches of porcelain Limoges Slip. I've been making dozens of mini test bowls to find the perfect white, grey and black colored clay bodies. Once I decide on the correct percentages I'll be moving on to testing a bunch of different glazes.

Dune

This is my new bowl, Dune.  It is part of my Functional Landscapes series.  This is a series of functional vessels that add a sculptural element to your table setting.

New Pieces

Yesterday I was photographing some new-ish work. Here is a sneak peak at one of the items, though I still can't decide what to call it.

New Project

I am working on a new project that I had begun in New York and then put on the back burner when I moved to Barcelona.

It's a dinnerware set!

Above are pictures I took today as I was trying to decide on sizes and overall shapes.  The general outlines are very geometric now, but they will soon evolve into softer organic shapes!

Below are images from my initial trials in my Brooklyn studio.

Holiday Sale Event

I will be selling my vessels and porcelain jewelry from December 14th to 17th at "Bulusma III" in Istanbul.  Come by grab a cup of tea, meet the artists behind the work, and do some fun holiday shopping!

Place: Bobbin - Teşvikiye Bostan Sokak (Karakol Sokak) No:13/3, Kat:2, Nişantaşı, Istanbul
Tel: 0212 260 06 82
Date: 14-17 Aralık (December) 2011
Time: 11:00 - 19:00

Porcelain Jewelry

The photographs that I take of my ceramics are an extension of the work itself. I try to create vignettes that embody the concept of the pieces. This photo collage is a mini story of my jewelry.

More inspiration from London

I had come across Ruth Tomlinson's jewelry on a previous visit to London and I saw her work again on the Design*Sponge blog. Now this is a whole new level of porcelain jewelry.

Note to self: you have much more to learn and much more to strive for!