When I need inspiration—and a workday break from screens—I like to wander through the impeccable Viand Mercantile in Portland, Maine. (Highly recommend if you’re stopping through town this summer.)
On a recent visit, I spotted an impossibly beautiful shallow bowl, dark and evocative, patterned like lichen on rocks, made by Estudio Vernís. Which prompted some digging: Based in the town of Castell de Castells, Spain, Estudio Vernís is “a workshop that celebrates craft and the unexpectedness of wood-firing.” According to the makers, “the studio was founded in the mountains of Alicante in 2019 by Alejandra and Coke, a duo who wanted to make use of their hands and natural resources to make something they identified with.
“They aspire to a world where every object contains the traces of the hands that made it. That is why their fingerprints are in every step of the process, from the pinching of the clay, to the formulation of the glazes or the foraging of the wood, leaving a mark in a lasting and natural material.”
I’ve been coveting each of their evocative, one-of-a-kind pieces since. Have a look:
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation