There Once Was Some Clay From Kanimbla

By Benjamen Judd

Sometimes, when researching and finding out about new designers and artists, we get a little envious. Particularly those who just packed up and shipped themselves off to the countryside to live a life of creativity, simplicity and the sounds of birds over cups of warm tea. Like Helen Hay.

Helen studied ceramics and hot glass back in bustling Britain before strapping the bare necessities to her back and going trekking across various continents. She then made her way to Australia where she discovered the hills of Kanimbla Valley in New South Wales. Here she has stayed and created some of the most beautiful and eye-catching ceramics and glassware we have seen in a while. Her inspiration is the Valley itself – its natural flows and dips showing up in the textures and finishing art on her works. Her Valley Lights range, a series of candleholders, captures the dawn she gets to see every morning, with fog rolling over in over the hills.

Helen’s work places a lot of emphasis on the way it feels in your hands, something that she says can only be achieved by the handmade. It is the sign of something that has genuine love put into it and not the work of a machine that spits a couple hundred out an hour. We like that philosophy. No bowl or cup or glass feels the exact same as the next and you get the impression that there is a little bit of Helen in each one!

For more information on Kanimbla Clay, and stockists, check out Helen’s blog here and see some of her other amazing work.