We recently had the joy of visiting Talia Warshawsky’s South London Studio. Nestled in her sun-filled garden, the studio exudes a serene and creative ambiance perfect for her life as a working artist with a toddler in tow. Originally a textile designer for luxury fashion brands, Talia turned to ceramics for a new way of exploring design eventually leading her to work in a pottery workshop in Mashiko, Japan. There she explored stepping away from perfection and found her signature brutalist-esque style.

Our Q&A with Talia in her south London-based studio:

We are so excited to get the “behind the scenes” of your London studio. What was your main source of inspiration for designing your studio?

When we started building I aimed to build a space out of recycled materials. The 'shed' ended up being built nearly entirely out of found or donated leftovers, the insulation is sheep's wool and the cladding is old decking we panel upright and the doors we found second hand. I've slowly covered it with plants growing all around and old or broken pieces of work I embed in the soil which made it feel more 'me'. 

What does a day in your studio look like? And how did you decide on the final space?

I usually arrive with a coffee and sit at my work bench while trying to get organized. I've separated my space into 3 zones; it's small so I have to be efficient. 

There's the work bench where I do all my planning, designing and wet work – I usually start here rolling out slabs and hand building. Then I have the dry zone where I have pieces I leave to dry or that have been fired once and need to be glazed – this is a job I try to do in bulk once a week. The final space is the kiln where at the end of every other day I fill it and fire all my work. The last thing I do every day is wrap all my unfinished work in plastic so it doesn't dry out and then clean up (clay and glaze makes a surprising amount of mess). 

Do you have any studio must haves? A podcast? Playlist? Snacks?

I don't eat in my studio because it's way too dirty in the day; I’ll take lunch in the garden or somewhere out. I sometimes have some music or a podcast. A lot of the time I'm happy to sit in silence and work. 

Many artists and creators consider the place where they create as important as the final artwork. Do you find that your studio is a haven that inspires you to produce your best work? Why or why not?

I have a love hate relationship with my studio, it provides me everything I need yet I feel the lack of space overwhelming at times. Saying that, I do like to create in a bit of chaos though, having bits of experiments and tiles and colors all around does spark new ideas. 

How would you describe your artistic style in a few words?

Messy, free, and experimental.

We know you aim to create ceramics that resemble archaeological findings and artifacts in ancient Mesopotamia. How do you do this and what led you to wanting to intertwine archaeology and ceramics?

It came about quite naturally for me, I have a love of texture from my past in textile design, and so I was always drawn to these rough clays and textural glazes which have a kind of aged look. Then my love of design and history has inspired shapes and when you combine these two things you end up with a kind of modern archaeological look. 

We know you trained as a ceramicist in Mashiko, Japan - how did this training help influence and evolve you to the artist you are today? And how do you see your training background affect the outcome of your pieces?

This was a truly pivotal moment for me, going to Mashiko I was suddenly immersed in ceramics, the whole town lived and breathed ceramics and I was lucky to be put alongside artists that taught me to be freer with my movements, to create in private so I could shake off what was expected from ceramics and outsider judgment. Before this I was making very different work, hand thrown perfect looking cups and plates, Japan taught me ceramics could be so much more than I thought it could be. 

How did you ultimately decide to transition from designing textiles to ceramic making full time? And do you see any connections between the two occupations?

My experience in textiles has shaped my ceramics practice massively. I started out exploring ceramics because after 10 years in the fashion and textile industry I needed a new creative outlet. I think my love of color, texture, and shapes comes through in my ceramics practice. I eventually left fashion and textiles behind because ceramics just became too interesting and exciting for me. 

Over here at LES, we are amazed by your ability to create such a range of hand-built ceramics. Since ceramic sculpting is your primary medium, does your studio require anything different that a gilder painter may not have?

There is one thing and it would be my slab roller, it's now my most used piece of equipment after the kiln. It rolls out clay into sheets that I can drape over molds and shape. It's saved my wrists from hours of rolling with a rolling pin. 

Your pieces have such a signature and quality look to them. Besides ceramics, what other materials are you curious about bringing into your studio?

I'm currently looking at ways to expand into home objects - so lighting, cloth and glass is coming slowly into my studio as I experiment. 

What are some inspirations you find in the natural, every-day world that you feel transforms your art? 

I guess it would be color, I love natural color combinations you'd find in nature. 

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