Michele Hickey Gemin

LAM Ceramica

Ceramicist

©Michele Hickey Gemin

From cakes to ceramics

Michele is a former cake designer turned ceramicist
Her creations are functional objects with minimal design
Her technique combines wheel throwing and hand building

"No matter what craft you choose, once you have learned to use your hands, you will always be able to do it." This is Michele Hickey Gemin’s theory, based on her own experience. With a Bachelor in Fine Arts from F.I.T. in New York City, her hometown, Michele worked as a cake designer for years, before moving to London and working on a cookie business. When her husband’s profession led the family to Krakow, Michele discovered ceramics. Intrigued by the local tradition, she found a master artisan in town and began to take wheel-throwing lessons, coming to the conclusion that shaping clay was not so different to shaping cake dough. Her training was completed in Venice, where she finally settled and opened her workshop, LAM Ceramica. Here, she creates ceramic objects for everyday use, characterised by a minimal, sculptural design in neutral colours and attractive textures.

Interview

©Michele Hickey Gemin

©Michele Hickey Gemin

Why do you concentrate on functional objects?: I consider myself as an artisan more than an artist. I like to deal with everyday objects because I believe that a well made ware can bring joy to the person who uses it. Just because something has a practical purpose doesn't mean that it has to be ordinary or ugly!
How would you describe your technique?: It is mixed, combining wheel-throwing and hand building. My shapes are simple. I always begin with a cylinder or a semi sphere, then I put them together to obtain a final object that is both asymmetrical and balanced.
Why do you use neutral colours?: Colour can be distracting. Shape is the most important feature to me and I want to focus attention on it. Texture, too, is intriguing. I like to create textures that make the object interesting to the touch. And I love the way different textures interact with light.
What is your source of inspiration?: Inspiration is everywhere: once, I got a new idea from the shoe heel I saw in a fashion ad. Living in Venice helps, too, as I am constantly surrounded by beauty. As for design schools, I am a huge fan of Bauhaus and of Marianne Brandt in particular.

Michele Hickey Gemin is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2012