Olga Milczyńska

August Design Studio

Ceramicist

©Karo Lewandowska

©Irina Grishina

©Aleksandra Gimla

©Basia Kuligowska Pion

Cherishing ceramic heritage

Olga is one of the founding members of the association NÓW. New Craft Poland
She is a graduate of The Royal Danish Academy
She has worked in ceramic workshops in Great Britain, France, Denmark and South Korea

When Olga was studying in Denmark, during one of her walks on the beach, she found a piece of brick washed up by the sea. Its oval shape, designed by the force of water, made her think "Is this an object created by a man or by nature". She also realised "how old, and long-lasting ceramic craft is". Throughout her career she has supported endangered arts and crafts. In 2016, together with Irina Grishina, she opened August Design Studio. As a teacher at School of Form in Poznań she reminds her students that craftmanship comes with "collecting your own experience and making many mistakes on the way to find your own point of view".

Interview

©Karo Lewandowska

©Radek Zawadzki

How has working with artisans influenced your craft?: Each of the ceramicists I worked for had a different approach. I was very influenced by my time in Korea, where I worked for a Korean potter. His approach to the material, based on a dialogue with it, is something I come back to in my projects.
How would you describe your ceramics?: When I worked on the August Design Studio, our motto with Irina was to create simple objects that will accompany people and give pleasure in use. Now, in my private collection, I don’t focus so much on perfect shapes, but on exploration and experimenting with the material itself.
How important is tradition in your designs?: It is very important for me to look at what has been done until now. In my work I try to refer to older pieces from different cultures and try to keep them alive. I like to combine older traditions with my way of looking at the world, and to do so in a modern and creative way.
Do you think that real craftmanship is disappearing?: Certainly there are some professions that are slowly disappearing, but also new ones are being created. An interest in handicraft is definitely returning, but it depends on the creators whether this will evolve into real craftsmanship in the future.

Olga Milczyńska is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2006