Yuliya Makliuk

Ceramicist

©Angelova Olena

©Makliuk Yuliya

Firing clay with climate consciousness

Yuliya used to work in an international environmental organisation
She has two master degrees: one from Ukraine and one from the UK
She works at the intersection of climate activism and pottery

Ecological responsibility informs every aspect of Yuliya Makliuk's ceramic practice. A recognised environmental activist in her home country, she co-founded a Ukrainian youth climate movement and has participated in international UN climate negotiations. In 2017, Yuliya began working with clay, and now produces functional and expressive ceramic works available to the public. What sets her apart from other ceramicists is her approach, her method of making ceramics aims to reduce environmental impact throughout the entire process - from sourcing materials to waste management. Her pieces often reflect environmental themes and evoke reflections on human-nature relationships, and her minimal-waste ethos positions her work within a contemporary craft movement.

Interview

©Makliuk Yuliya

©Angelova Olena

What do you like most about being a ceramicist?: The moment when you arrive at the studio in the morning without a specific plan, having a whole day of creating that lies ahead. First you drink a cup of tea, and then you take a piece of clay and start playing with it, trying new ideas without a specific purpose.
How would you define what you do?: The main focus of my studio work is exploring connections between ceramic craft and nature protection. Everything from choosing the most environmentally friendly ceramic glazes to using ceramic items as a way of sparking debate is what interests me.
What makes your pottery special?: I pay close attention to the ceramic life cycle in order to minimise my footprint. You can often see me digging for local wild clays or crushing glass bottles to recycle into glaze. Also, a certain percentage of my profits from sales goes to local nature preservation projects.
What was the moment you decided to get into ceramics?: I had a lot of stress at work and I saw a post on a social network from a person who had completed several pottery courses. Calling that workshop, I discovered that a new course was about to start and there was one place left. I signed up right away.

Yuliya Makliuk is a rising star: she began her career in 2017