Claudia Schoemig

A special touch to porcelain

• Claudia creates elegant and minimalist porcelain pieces
• She aims to create objects that bring daily inspiration
• She works from her own workshop and shop in Berlin

Ceramicist, Claudia Schoemig seeks to redefine the relationship between creation and consumption through her work. For her, a handmade vessel, such as an exquisite tea bowl can inspire you in your daily experience. Her creations aim to bring poetry to everyday life, to make everyday actions such as drinking tea or eating into something special. In that way, she hopes to give meaning to the objects we interact with, in a world flooded with consumer goods. After an apprenticeship and studies in visual arts, Claudia gained experience by participating in ceramic workshops, which provided a solid foundation that today allows her to realize her own designs without any technical constraints. In 2011, she set up her own studio and shop in Berlin.

Interview

©Laura Muthesius

©Claudia Schoemig

How do your surroundings influence you?

Berlin is a vital, lively place. In my everyday life I am part of a network of designers, artists and craftsmen. Therefore, I am in a constant exchange with my environment. Here, I have a huge variety of exhibitions and international influences on my doorstep.

What remains hidden from the beholder's eye?

Porcelain is a very error-prone and sensitive material, you have to stay focused during the creation process. It is a craft that is slow by nature. It takes at least 5 years of intensive experience to turn porcelain evenly and gently by hand.

Is the market challenging for artisans?

Yes, absolutely. Handcrafted products have their price and only a small part of society has the corresponding appreciation for them. Due to cheap products on the market, handcrafted ones seem expensive, but the creators margins are usually small.

How can we change that?

First we have to realise that something produced under low wage conditions is absurdly cheap. Then we have to strengthen the awareness of crafts, of individually handmade and high-quality products with regional connections.

Claudia Schoemig is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1991

Works

©Kathrin Koschitzki

©Nikolai Marcinowski

©Kathrin Koschitzki

Where