Love at first touch
- Daša was only 14 when she fell in love with pottery
- She intertwines tradition and innovation
- She holds pottery workshops and courses
Daša Kogoj is a Slovenian ceramicist from Vrhnika, whose products go by the name Daša’s Pottery. She was only 14 years old when she first stepped into the workshop of a famous Slovenian potter and fell in love with clay and pottery, but it was not until her late twenties that she decided to become a professional ceramicist. Her creations – mostly mugs, bowls, plates and flower vases – are a fusion of Scandinavian design and modern trends, inspired by her own kind of minimalism. In the process of making, she puts functionality first, then great aesthetics usually follow in a natural way. She shares her vast knowledge of pottery and clay at various courses and workshops, helping to keep alive the centuries-old tradition of pottery in Slovenia.
INTERVIEW
My first creation was a large vase, made at the workshop held by renowned Slovenian potter Urban Magušar. I used the technique of coil building. It was only a few months later that I started learning the technique of pottery wheel throwing.
Slovenia is "paved" with clay and the tradition of pottery dates back hundreds of years. Since we are a transitional and officially also a relatively young country, the traces of influences from our neighbouring countries can clearly be seen.
In the pottery world all the shapes have already been made. All we can do is give them our personal touch and consequently make something special that combines tradition with a contemporary vision.
Pottery wheel throwing is physically strenuous. Not only in the sense that you have to be strong, but sometimes your skin gets damaged. My students often ask whether it is normal for them to have so much pain in the palms while centring the clay.
