Magdalena Kucharska
Hadaki
Ceramicist
Poznań, Poland
Recommended by Nów. New Craft Poland
Sweet creatures alive in clay
- Magdalena creates everyday objects and small mythical figurines
- Her works are made with pigmented, unglazed clay
- She uses leftover clay for experimentation
Magdalena Kucharska began her career in graphic design, but clay helped her find her way back to making things by hand. What started as an escape from the computer turned into Hadaki, a ceramic studio where every object is designed with the same clarity Magdalena learned in visual communications. Self-taught and working through trial and error, she became fascinated with colouring the clay itself. "My work is defined by calm, functional forms and a soft finish created with pigmented clay coloured in the body, rather than relying on shiny glaze," Magdalena says. Alongside everyday objects, she creates small figurines that feel like lost species or quiet guardians, shaped by folklore, nature and imagination. Built slowly through self-teaching and experimentation, Hadaki is Magdalena's quiet world: consistent, deliberate and free from trends.
INTERVIEW
I made a planter. I needed something waterproof for plants, but visually quiet and simple. I even dreamed the two-part plaster mould solution one night, and it became the first piece created at Hadaki.
I start with creating drawings. I think like a designer: shape first, then finish. Functional objects often go from sketch to moulds and slip casting, so I can explore colour and surface. Figurines are hand built and more spontaneous. This is how each of them develops its own character.
Nothing is accidental, everything is designed. I use unglazed, pigmented clay coloured in the mass, with calm tones and a soft, satin touch. I want the objects to bring harmony. They do not shout, they belong quietly in a space.
Patience and humility. Clay changes constantly, whether wet, dried or fired. This means that the results can surprise you. I learned not to cling on to the perfect idea, but to work with the process. Even leftovers can become new experiments, and that keeps the studio alive.
