I first featured Dutch artisan, Ilona of OeiCeramics work in this past feature on the Japanese art of kintsugi or “golden joinery” of broken ceramics. Her contemporary style of dainty geometric porcelain jewelry appeals to modern esthetics. The addition of gold areas gives her designs considerable elegance.
I love her delicate patterns using different colors especially in blue which is reminiscent of the blue and white porcelain made in the city of Delft where she lives. Indeed, Ilona must have been inspired by Delft’s centuries old tradition of making ceramics.
Delft in the Netherlands has a centuries old tradition of porcelain production. Ming blue and white porcelain from China was all the rage (more about that in a future post) but expensive since it had to be imported. So until the Europeans discovered how to make delicate white porcelain, the Delft artisans came up with an alternative. They used a white tin glaze over brown earthenware and blue colors and patterns to mimic Chinese porcelain. This type of ceramics became known as Delftware or Delft Blue wherever it is made.
Ilona says she loves working with porcelain because the material allows her to work in fine details. She adds :
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