After a spontaneous visit to Northcote Pottery late last year I ended up chatting with potter, Sarah Schembri, who happened to be working in her studio that day. Before leaving, I mentioned to Sarah that I was on the lookout for emerging potters with a unique style . . . a few weeks later she introduced me to the work of Iranian-born Elnaz Nourizadeh. The
colourful glazes & organic shapes of Elnaz's one-of-a-kind pieces caught my eye immediately!
A hand-picked selection of Elnaz's ceramics can be found in the store
& there are more beautiful works on the way.
Read on to discover a little about Elnaz & her ceramics . . .
Tell us a little about your art background & studies
I was born in 1985 in Tehran. I started pottery and ceramics when I was teenager, as a hobby, then I continued my work as my ceramic teacher’s assistant. I studied Industrial Design at the university in Tehran. After university I started more ceramic work, and also pottery, and began teaching ceramics as a full time job.
'blossom' bowl . . . inspired by native Iranian flowers (sold)
do you approach your making or glazing in a specific way?
I throw the tableware on the wheel then deform and shape them while each piece is drying. I don’t use moulds or templates - I improvise the shapes. For the glazes, I do some tests to see how the different glazes will react, and how they will look next to each other - I keep this in mind when I start glazing. Then I just pick up the brush and paint whatever comes to mind with each piece.
what's the most exciting thing to happen so far in your creative career?
when I found a new home for my camouflage sculpture!
is there anything you hope your artwork gives to people or the world?
With my sculptures, I try to get people thinking about things happening around them. With my tableware, I want to bring a little colour and happiness into their everyday life.
is there anyone or anything that inspires you or your work?
my work is inspired by everything around me . . . everyday things I see in the streets, music I listen to, the news I read, or a new artwork that catches my eye.
what do you love most about Australia?
I haven't seen a lot of places in Australia yet, but I love Melbourne because it’s a calm city . . . and I really enjoy hearing the birds sing, the smell of eucalyptus trees and to see so many colours in nature.
Visit Elnaz's store page to find the collection of her work
You can read more about Elnaz on The Design Files interview by Lisa Marie Corso!
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