PK: Do you sometimes buy ceramics from other creators?
Yes, I collect ceramics, but I have a rule that I only buy things that are a mystery to me. Usually seeing some ceramic products, I know how they arose, I know what clay it is, what enamel it is, I know how the process was going. If I see a product that makes me wonder how someone has done it, it is a "higher level" for me. These are products that are interesting for me and which I buy myself.
PK: So this studio, was created in a pandemic. This is your first joint studio?
Yes. Earlier we did these things only for ourselves.
PK: You mentioned that a lot of new studios opened and this community is growing. Do you know people who run similar workshops?
Yes, we know some personally, and we just associate some of the social media. An interesting fact is that several people who went to our workshop also opened their own workshops.
PK: I think you can say that this is a real compliment - that is, you teach very well.
It is very nice. Recently, a collective associating ceramics was created, who work here in Krakow. It turned out that one of the people who is his founder also once took part in our workshops.
PK: Do you somehow promote your workshops and products you sell?
We do not promote ourselves too much, we do not have such a need, because despite the lack of promotion we have clients and willing to work out. I think that "word of worker" works and this is the best promotion for us. People who come to workshops or want to buy our products often heard about us from friends.
PK: In addition to those products that are available immediately, do you also make items to order?
Yes, we also make ceramics to order, if such a project is consistent with our aesthetics. We do not work on things that we would not like to create by ourselves. If someone likes our ceramics and, for example, would like to order a mug from us with the coat of arms of their city, let's put in a style referring to the Middle Ages, we will simply not take such an order. We do not want to do things that are not in our circle of interest
Usually, individual orders are based on personalization of designs that we have on sale. Often these are small changes in the shape, size or color of such a product.
However, if someone who wants such an individual project that we will not undertake, we always invite you to the workshop. This is a nice alternative, because such a customer can try to realize his dream product himself. We are happy to help in this and lead through this process.
Some time ago there was a girl at the workshop who dreamed of a cup with a scorpion and at the workshop such a cup made herself.
PK: So it's not like coming to you to workshops, everyone has the same task and stick similar items?
No, we are very open in this matter. If someone has an idea for something specific, we do not impose the topic of work.
Most people do not realize how long the creation process is. We often see this when people sign up for workshops, for example, they say that they want to make someone's birthday present. So we ask in such a situation when this birthday is and it often turns out that in a day or two. This shows that people think this is a process that lasts several hours.
PK: What beyond the time of performance, surprises people who try their hand at your ceramic workshops?
Often people are surprised that the enamel looks completely different before and after burn. The process of glazing is very strange for people who come to our workshops. They do something and has no idea what the effect will be.
PK: What do you mean?
The point is that the enamel changes color during firing. Those that give green color are red when we paint ceramics with them. This makes it quite difficult to imagine the end result after firing.
PK: So such enamel is bought, is it something you are preparing?
Glass can be bought or made. To make enamel, you just buy specific components - this is a bit of chemistry fun. The main component of the glaze is quartz, which is also a component of, for example, sand. The second important ingredient are fluxes, e.g. calcium oxides, sodium oxides, etc. They are used to reduce the melting point, because the quartz itself melts at a high temperature and so high temperature cannot be obtained in furnaces that are used for ceramics firing. So mix the quartz with a poplar and then add the so -called "color". These are small amounts of oxides, e.g. copper oxide or iron oxide. You can also add pigments that give the color of a given enamel.
You usually have a specific recipe, as in cooking - you need to measure everything properly and mix. The right amount of ingredients here is very crucial. The weight must be very accurate because 1 gram of a given ingredient can completely change the final color of our enamel.
Personally, I really like this process.
For me, ceramics is so interesting because it combines the artistic aspect with exact sciences. Chemistry and physics are very important here and it is difficult to develop in this field without knowledge in this field.
Without it, it's hard to go to some next level of advancement. Well, for me it is such a bottomless well, because you can learn and learn and explore the knowledge without end. I have books on enamel technology at home, which are definitely not reading for a pillow.
PK: Are there any features or abilities that you need to have to learn to create ceramics?
I think anyone can learn.
Of course, if you already have any manual skills, it is certainly helpful. During the workshops, sometimes you can see that there are people who work with this material very naturally while others have to put more effort and time. You just have to remember not to give up.
I happened to work with several people who enrolled in us for individual lessons. Sometimes I saw that at the beginning something did not quite work. If they were determined, it finally began to leave and the effects were very cool.
The most important is to master the technical foundations. If you have grounds, you can develop and only our imagination limits us.
PK: We know that your studio is a relatively new undertaking, but because you take care of ceramics for a long time, do you see any changes in this field? We talked about an increase in interest in this topic. Do you see any specific trends?
If we talk specifically about our studio, then each year is different and it is difficult to draw such general conclusions. In the previous year, the summer period was, for example, very good sales for us. There were a lot of tourists who bought ceramics. There was a very big traffic but the workshop interest was quite small at that time. This year, however, the workshops in the summer were constantly full of participants, and tourists appeared much less.
When it comes to general trends in this industry, we observe some changes. The client is definitely changing - people who reach us are more aware today than before. They know a bit about ceramics and realize that the price of products results from the process that stands behind it. People who are surprised that these cups do not cost 5 zlotys are still visiting our workshops, but this does not happen often.
PK: What do you think has affected this change in customer approach?
First of all, probably the fact that more and more often there is talk of hand -created things about how much time it takes. I think that makes people appreciate these items more.
PK: What do you think has affected this change in customer approach?
First of all, probably the fact that more and more often there is talk of hand -created things about how much time it takes. I think that makes people appreciate these items more.
K: Are there any changes in the field of ceramics related to the development of technology?
He certainly changed the 3D printing a bit. This technology allows you to create project models, which makes the process very easier, because on the basis of such a model we can later create complex forms. Things of such forms look a bit like a printer.
PK: Do you as a white rabbit studio have a specific vision in what direction do you want to develop?
We don't have any strategy, we just do what we feel at the moment. We do not establish assumptions for what we do while brewing what is popular. Our products are not created for market demand and specific trends. On the contrary, we assume that what we do must flow out of us and be authentic, and if our work likes someone, someone makes us very happy.
PK: What do you follow in your work? Do you have any motto?
We are not guided by any motto. I think that if someone really is to deal with it, it will be done. Regardless of whether there are any adversities. I believe that a real passion gives us such strength to act and do what we love regardless of the circumstances.
Of course, you have to be open. Maybe you don't always have to jump into deep water right away. Sometimes it is worth combining with some other things and activities and before we decide to do a full -time job, do it primarily for ourselves.
PK: Do you have any advice for young artists who are just starting their creative path?
It may sound a bit trivial, but such advice is that they follow their inner voice and create what they want.
It is also worth remembering that there is work and experience behind the final effect. Creativity is one issue, but the technical side is also important in such competitions. There are things that you have been working on for years - you can't jump over it. That is why it is not worth discouraged if something does not work out. You have to keep looking and just try all the time.
People often say that the creators have a specific style. Young people often do not know how to find their own style. In my opinion, this is also something that is discovered by creating itself.
PK: Why is it worth choosing craft products?
I think it's worth choosing craft products, because people creating such objects put their heart into it, but also passions and energy.
I believe that it later affects the reception of these items and the person who uses them. For me, coffee drunk from such a cup that was handmade, by a person who devoted a lot of time to making a lot of time, tastes completely different. There is such an extraordinary in these items, something that in my opinion cannot be repeated by machine.
When he works on ceramics, it is very important to me what surrounds me. What music flies in the background, at which I am at a given mood, is what the space around me looks like and even the smell that rises in the studio. In my opinion, it all reflects in a way at a given job. Both with Ania create items with the thought that we want them to positively influence the person who later uses them.
PK: Thank you for the interview.
Thank you too.
