Iona Crawford Topp

Ceramicist

©Anita Murphy

Ceramics curated for cuisine

Iona creates beautiful everyday objects
She looks for harmony of food and plates
Her work is commissioned by restaurants

Iona Crawford Topp recognises food and how we interact with it as an important part of everyday life, which is why her work is characterised by her matching of food and tableware. Before studying ceramics, she had worked front of house in a fine dining restaurant where she got to know a local potter whose creations the restaurant used, and got to learn more about the ceramic process. Seeing the collaboration with the chefs regarding the design process, the making of the pots and the lifestyle of the potter, Iona knew this was for her. After taking a two-year ceramics skills course by the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland in Kilkenny, she now pursues her work, interacting with many local porters, artists and ceramic masters.

Interview

©Anita Murphy

Did food bring you to work with ceramics?: I wanted to work with food and how people interact with it. Food is such an integral part of the every day and to life, what you eat and who you share it with. I love to cook but I never wanted to make cooking a career, this way I am involved in food but more on my terms.
Does your environment influence your work?: I make plates for restaurants – plates that take inspiration from the seasons and the landscape – so I am linked in that way but also in my proximity to the coast by living in Waterford. The patterns and textures found along the coastline inspire me.
What do you love most about your profession?: That I am my own master and that I get to make beautiful objects that are used in amazing restaurants and hundreds of people will eat from them. It has become very popular to use handmade pottery so I’d say my craft is quite fashionable at the moment.
What is a memorable moment in your career?: On the opening night of The House restaurant at The Cliff House Hotel, a luxury hotel in Waterford, I was invited to dine with the other guests. Almost every single plate of the eight-course menu that was being served was one of my creations – it made me so proud.

Iona Crawford Topp is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2014 and she started teaching in 2021