Maker’s Story
Authenticity and simplicity lie at the heart of potter Silvia Kamodyová’s craft.
Located in the heart of Brighton on the South coast of the UK, Silvia established her studio shortly after graduation in 2012. Reflecting her commitment to authenticity, every aspect of production takes place in-house. Silvia’s drawings inform the models from which she makes her moulds, she also mixes casting slip, makes glazes, cuts leather straps, nothing is outsourced.
Silvia spent four years at the University of Brighton, graduating with an MDes in Ceramics and Visual Research in 2012. Silvia K Ceramics has won awards such as Elle Decoration Design Awards 2016 and New Designers One Year On 2013.
It was on a study placement in Italy that Silvia began working with red clay, drawn to the sense of nostalgia she found in the material. The work embodies our universal desire to preserve our heritage and keep the connection between ourselves and where we come from alive.  Childhood trips to museums full of agricultural and war memorabilia and visits to vineyards peppered with ceramic pots with her grandfather have been etched into her memory. The various artefacts remembered from these trips have been born again through Silvia’s designs and given new purposes. The experiences of her relatively rustic upbringing have shaped the work she produces today. “It does sound idyllic now but it was quite raw environment.” Being able to reference her home through her work is something of a comfort, as after living here for 16 years she still gets homesick. Her separation from Slovakia has only enhanced the desire to research her heritage.
Silvia’s collections are a contemporary interpretation of simple historical objects with a strong focus on function and colour. While the origins of her early work can be traced to her Slovakian heritage, ongoing research takes her enquiring eye to peasant ceramic ware from sources as diverse as Spanish pharmacy jars and French Confit pots. With a passion and respect for crafts, Silvia sees these objects as a vital element of our cultural and social history and is uncompromising in her research and development. Each range presents a complementary combination of fresh bright colours alongside quieter tones. Pattern is minimal, using simple strokes, lines or bases of colour. Past collections have been inspired by travels such as to Morocco and Portugal, while the current palette emerged from studies of the Bloomsbury residence, Charleston House.
Studio images courtesy of Silvia K.Â
