Claudia von Boch

L’Atelier Gaïa

Ceramicist

©IDENTITY.Waleska Cotton-Russell

©Claudia Von Boch

The human and the earthly

Being a ceramicist is Claudia's second career
She has two studios, in Switzerland and in Italy
Earth strata and geology inspire her

Claudia von Boch originally trained to be a teacher, but she turned to pursue ceramics professionally after moving to Switzerland with her family. She opened her studio in Switzerland in 1999 once she had graduated in ceramics and since 2017 she also has a second workshop in Italy. Claudia is from a family that has been involved in industrial ceramics for eight generations (Villeroy&Boch). Her father used to say that clay runs through her veins instead of blood. In her work, Claudia thinks a lot about the way Earth was formed and sees a connection between geology and the human experience. She mostly uses modelling and mould pressing techniques and occasionally works on the wheel as well. Most of her work is un-glazed unless for bowls or vases that need to be made waterproof.

Interview

©IDENTITY.Waleska Cotton-Russell

©IDENTITY.Waleska Cotton-Russell

Why did you choose this craft?: I believe it’s the craft that chose me. I discovered clay and ceramics when I was 10 years old. My parents had a friend who was a ceramicist and had a studio at home. When I saw and touched the clay, I immediately connected with this material.
How do tradition and innovation appear in your work?: Manipulating clay makes me feel close to those who worked clay in ancient times: gestures, procedures and firings. I have found my own way of working this material. Recycling clays and glazes is a way of transforming something old into new.
From where do you draw inspiration?: I am inspired by geology, by the accumulation of layers and the formation of strata at the origin of mountain landscapes and rocks. We humans are also an accumulation of experiences and impressions. I see a connection between these two forms of stratifications.
What is a memorable moment in your professional life?: When I was teaching children, a 12 year-old girl asked what I had wanted to become when I was her age. I answered that I wanted to be a ceramicist and she exclaimed: “That means you reached your dream!”

Claudia von Boch is a master artisan: she began her career in 1999 and she started teaching in 2000