LAURA COOKE

I want my pots to be staples in people’s cabinets and on their dinner tables, introducing uniqueness, meaning, and fun into their everyday routines. The lines and patterns on my pots are meant to frame food, embrace coffee, and circle flowers—and enhance people's experience of eating, drinking, and being a person in the world.

I make simple forms and decorate by hand. The lines lead the user's eye around the pots; the patterns encourage them to meditate on the repetition and variation. My decorations are not perfect—they're more sketch-like—celebrating the connection to the natural world, where straight lines don't exist, and making each piece truly one of a kind.

I wheel throw and hand build my pots and fire in an electric kiln. Recently I’ve been firing in a wood kiln as well and decorating with the same patterns. I find it interesting how the wood-kiln atmosphere—the swirling flame and tossed-in salt—creates endless variations I could not predict, and I revel in the wonder of it all.