Tea Radić

TERRA KERAMIKA

Ceramicist

©Kate Ševo

Following her intuition

Tea created the brand Terra on graduation
She creates functional and decorative ceramics
Her unique cups are made using the pinching technique

“I don’t see the craft as something outside of me. My work is a part of me and all my emotions are transferred into it. It is me,” says Tea Radić. She had an affinity for art from an early age, and started her brand, Terra, after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts as a sculptor. The first object she ever made under the name Terra was a mug with a distinctive handle shape, made using the technique of pinching. This soon became her trademark. “Working with ceramics requires a lot of patience, time and knowledge, and each new piece is a challenge, but also a reward,” says Tea. Besides sculpting and producing small functional ceramic objects, mostly for the home, she regularly gives pottery workshops.

Interview

©Kate Ševo

©Kate Ševo

How would you define what you do?: I create intuitively most of the time. When I first started my brand, my idea was to create sculptural yet functional objects. It was also a reaction to a market flooded with mass produced objects.
Which specific techniques do you use?: Terra is recognisable for the technique of pinching. I also combine techniques such as coil building and slab making. It is very important to me to convey my love for the process and the material through my objects, and these techniques, based on a direct play between hand and the material, show this.
What inspires you?: I am inspired by creation, and clay is the medium that allows me to materialise my thoughts. Sometimes inspiration flashes like lightning, sometimes it is necessary to contemplate. Imagination has the miraculous power to recognise infinite possibilities in the most ordinary situations.
What do you like most about your profession?: The world of ceramics is extremely complex, and I am still discovering it. It is a process of lifelong learning. As long as there are still layers of the craft to discover, so I will continue to fall in love with it.

Tea Radić is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2008 and she started teaching in 2020