All images © Jessica Thompson-Lee, shared with permission
Jessica Thompson-Lee twists the age-old design principle of form following function with her biomorphic ceramics. Evocative of cellular structures, coral, and mycelium networks, handles appear to grow from Thompson-Lee’s mugs, sprawling outward into lattice-like webs that require users to slot their fingers into the amorphous shapes.
“The person drinking from it will play around with different ways their fingers intertwine and rest in/on the sculptural handle,” she tells Colossal. “With the sculptural vases, people can use the holes in the organic sculptural elements to stick in and weave flowers through for a playful and interactive flower-arranging experience.”
Each design is born from what the artist calls “sketching with clay…After filling a squeeze bottle full of porcelain slip, I squeeze liquid clay designs onto a plaster slab, never knowing exactly how the designs will turn out. This unpredictability is both an important and enjoyable part of the process,” she shares.
Working from her Brooklyn studio, Thompson-Lee begins by throwing a vessel on the wheel before moving into hand-building. Starting with a thick slab of clay and an exacto knife, she sculpts the handle’s basic shape before cutting away excess material and smoothing the edges with a damp sponge. The artist then attaches the piece to the vessel, which she sends through an initial round of firing before drawing a pattern onto the surface. Carefully layered glazes and underglazes complete the vibrant, abstract designs before the second trip to the kiln.
Thompson-Lee plans to expand her biomorphic forms into additional functional objects like jars, lamps, dishes, and small furniture and has experimented with recycled paper pulp, as well. Find available pieces on Etsy, and follow new additions on Instagram. You also might enjoy this ambitious project to create 100 different handles in as many days.
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