Sarah Von Doetinchem
Ceramicist
Hamburg, Germany
The gentle balance in clay
- Sarah's ceramics are influenced by a large, personal colour archive
- She is interested in the relationships between form, colour, people and atmosphere
- She finds direction and energy in discovering and testing new methods
Through her practice as a ceramicist, Sarah von Doetinchem fulfils her long-held ambition of working with 3D sculpture. After co-founding, building and selling a luxury beauty platform, she turned to ceramics to pursue a more personal creative endeavour. Sarah's training as a graphic designer helped her develop a strong visual identity, rooted in composition, form and colour. Today, she explores balance and proportion through handcrafted vessels and sculptural forms, embracing the unpredictability of the material and process. “I had to unlearn looking outward,” she says. Inspired by the natural world and human condition, Sarah's work reflects a dialogue between intuition and craftsmanship.
INTERVIEW
Being an artist means creating a personal visual language and sharing it with others. I interpret the world and invite different perspectives. People can see me work through my studio's large windows, which often leads to spontaneous conversations. These moments remind me that art, beyond creation, is about connection, reflection and exchange.
It has taught me to trust and show my sensitivity more directly, which also means allowing vulnerability. In earlier works, I often translated this aspect into functional or strategic forms. Now, I allow it to exist on its own. This shift has changed how I work.
Colour is essential. I work with a personal archive of existing glazes, and create test tiles to explore combinations and relationships. The results remain uncertain until pieces emerge from the kiln, which is an unpredictability I embrace. My palette is often bold and unexpected.
I am interested in relationships between forms and colour, and also between people and atmospheres. I think a lot about how different personalities coexist and how complex those constellations can be. My works sometimes feel like placing characters into space. They create moments of tension, balance or friction without settling into a fixed meaning.
