Uta Koloczek

Porcelain maker

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Mastering the diva of ceramics

Uta reinterprets porcelain figurines
She uses new techniques such as 3D printing
She gives other artists access to her porcelain facilities

Uta Koloczek’s expressive and at times colourful designs reinterpret classic porcelain figurines. Decorated with gold and highly patterned, her eccentric pugs and chihuahuas nevertheless appear graceful due to the sublime shine that is unique to porcelain. However, the process is “a dirty business,” says Uta, since all the “mixing, sieving and cleaning takes a lot of energy and time” and the material itself is very demanding. “Porcelain is the diva of ceramic materials and is very difficult to master and control,” she says. Nonetheless, it has always been her dream to make a living from her passion. “It all started with a little clay crocodile which I made in primary school, and ever since, this love of ceramics has stayed with me.”

Interview

You have spent a lot of time abroad – why?
I like to look at other workshops and see how people work there. I have seen ceramicists in China, Africa, the US and all over Europe. It inspires and motivates my own work.
How important is it to be in the city?
Berlin is the city of creative people and this gives me the advantage that, unlike in the countryside, I can work with many artists and designers on site to help them with product development or the implementation of their artistic ideas.
Was that the starting point for your studio?
In a way, yes, since working with porcelain is usually only possible in factories, but young designers who are interested in the material rarely have access to that infrastructure. I wanted to create a space that is open to all interested parties.
What exactly do you do there?
I make objects for other artists and designers, besides my own products, and I pass on my knowledge through workshops. I also realise many innovative and experimental projects that regular manufacturers have to reject, using new techniques such as 3D printing.

Uta Koloczek is a master artisan: she began her career in 2010 and she started teaching in 2012