Paula Gertel & Cameron Fraser

Two of a kind

• Paula and cameron work with chefs
• Textures are key in their work
• They use local clay for their creations

Paula Gertel is from Argentina and Cameron Fraser is from Australia, and the two came together in Barcelona, where they have been sharing a studio for over ten years. Paula became interested in ceramics while still living in her homeland and wanted to learn how to make her own tableware. Cameron’s background is in printmaking and by joining forces they have created a unique vision in creating ceramic tableware combining their skills, personal vision, ingenuity and experimentation. The location of their studio – the industrial Poblenou neighborhood – provides them with inspiration paired with their interest in food and cooking, respecting chefs’ needs and expectations. Paula and Cameron’s body of work is about experimenting with shapes, patterns and textures; opening the kiln after firing is the most exciting moment in their creative process.

Interview

©Becky Lawton

©Becky Lawton

Why did you choose ceramics?

Paula: I am passionate about cooking and tableware is such an essential element of the process, the final one, where the result is on display. Handmade ceramic not only holds the food, but reminds you that what you are eating is also handmade, thus creating a connection.

How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?

Cameron: Our process is manual, we follow the traditional steps of making ceramics by hand, we adapt our machines and moulds, to make it smoother. Our diverse backgrounds allow us to think differently, we focus on textures and we create and develop our own glazes for each type of clay. We never stop investigating.

How would you define "well made"?

Paula: Each piece should meet all of our clients’ requirements, there has to be balance in the glazing and the feel, in the waterproof and storage features. It is the handmade process that makes each of our pieces truly one-of-a-kind, aiming at showcasing cooked food at its best.

Do you have a passion for inventing machines?

Cameron: I do love it and I found an old cast iron sausage extrude in a second-hand market, which I then converted into an extruder for ceramic objects. A lot of experimentation goes into making different dyes for the machine, some work some don’t!

Paula Gertel & Cameron Fraser are expert artisans: they began their career in 2005

Works

©Becky Lawton

©Becky Lawton

©Becky Lawton

©Becky Lawton

©Becky Lawton

Where

Experiences

Ceramic tableware workshop in Barcelona

3 Hours

90 EUR per person

Weekly ceramic classes in Barcelona

2 Hours

80 EUR

Family ceramic workshop in Barcelona

3 Hours

30 EUR per person