Maruša Mazej was a guest artist who was working in Juha ceramics studio. This post is about presenting the ideas behind her practice.

 I finished my bachelor and master studies at Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana where I also work as an assistant at the Department of Applied Arts. I am focused on finding balance between studio and artistic practice while introducing new generations to the field of ceramics.

 I create my pieces mainly in stoneware on a pottery wheel. For me, the pottery wheel offers countless possibilities and therefore represents an unlimited source of inspiration. I tend to seek for a mixture of planned and experimental and get inspired by the everyday objects and events. My ceramics for everyday use is simple in shape but rich in glaze colour and texture. My glazes are made from scratch and mixed in the studio.

Two things that deeply affect my work are looking for the beauty of objects that surround me and understanding their process of change. I tend to perceive the ageing of quality made products as a beautiful process. A person grows fonder of a certain object through time because they develop an emotional connection. The way in which the object is changing is in itself the most wholesome process. This process makes a person grow fonder of their favourite product. 

 My artistic practice follows similar ideas. By focusing on the division between art and craft, I am breaking the boundaries between different functions and purposes. Driven by experiment and new ideas, my work is a constant flow of change.