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Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Sandra Nitz

Porcelain maker

Focused on form and feel

  • A love of craftsmanship and travel led Sandra to become a ceramicist
  • To her, making pots is a journey
  • Grooves play an important role in the aesthetic of her work

For Sandra Nitz, making pottery is a journey that takes her to cities, foreign countries and distant continents, in a physical sense as well as in a broader sense. "My decision to study ceramics was primarily a result of the desire to learn all about ceramic craftsmanship and travel the world with this. After all, pots are needed everywhere." Sandra's first training as a potter began in the nearby city of Bamberg, where she spent two years immersed in throwing clay on the potter's wheel. Upon gaining the journeyman's certificate, she moved to Ireland and then came back to Germany to study at the renowned State College for Ceramics Design in Höhr-Grenzhausen, from where she graduated in 2001. Sandra also went to Australia for a master's degree in Studio Art. Today, In her Frankfurt am Main studio, Sandra creates distinctive, straightforward, sensual vessels on the potter's wheel. Simple shapes, beautifully balanced with unique textures, the forms appear serious and powerful. No playful or even decorative surfaces, Sandra focuses instead on pure, finely sanded porcelain.


Interview

©steffen matthes fotografie
©steffen matthes fotografie
Have you mastered any special techniques?
Porcelain is a particularly demanding material that is hard to shape on the potter's wheel. It is a challenge for anyone who is learning. This challenge fascinated me and has not let go since.
Can you describe your distinctive signature?
While making, the porcelain body is very soft and flexible. My intention is to preserve this softness in my objects. If you take one of the vessels in your hands, a surprisingly smooth and sensual feeling arises. They are intended to be an alternative to what is commonly associated with porcelain.
Can you explain how turning grooves are used in your work?
Turning grooves are an essential architectural part of a thrown pot, a very common design element in history and today. In my work they became generous and soft over the course of time. Now, they turned into waves that give the mostly cylindrical shape a sketchy, spontaneous appearance.
How would you advise young people who wish to pursue a career as a ceramicist?
Do not stop being curious, as well as patient. Become familiar with the material. Practise. Gain experience. Explore contemporary ceramics and historic vessels. Travel. Ideally, meet a great teacher. Never stop striving for more. Find your own language.
Sandra Nitz is a master artisan: she began her career in 1992 and she started teaching in 2016

Where


Sandra Nitz

Address: Gutzkowstraße 10, 60594, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Hours: By appointment only
Phone: +49 17625499620
Languages: German, English
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