About us
My name is Hester van den Haak. I started teaching ceramics in 2004. This started out as a small gathering with three neighbours but has meanwhile grown into a company with ten lessons per week. My small studio now holds eight turntables that I designed myself and then built together with my husband.
During my education to become a goldsmith in Schoonhoven, I also earned the international diploma of the ‘Fellowship Gemmological Association of Great Britain’ (FGA). This course taught me a lot about the compositions, properties, and colours of gemstones. Nowadays, I still use this knowledge to develop and experiment with glazes. Moreover, I studied 3D-design at the Art Academy of Utrecht. This taught me how important it is to adapt the shape of a product to its intended use.
The personal ceramics of Hester have a natural and minimalistic style. Themes from nature are incorporated, such as birds, fish, plants, and insects.
Moreover, a lot of inspiration is taken from the Japanese ceramics style. Therefore, you will often see differences in texture and contrast, or subtle tone differences in the glazes being applied.
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Besides teaching courses, a large part of my daily activities consists of keeping the workplace going. This includes recycling the clay, packing and sorting the ceramics ovens and developing new glazes.
Additionally, I am always working on my own ceramics. This includes designing, doing colour research and experimenting with forms and materials.
My name is merel. I have been working within my mother’s company since 2019. Currently, I am finishing my study in psychology and learning to code on the side. I have applied this knowledge while designing this website. Next to this, I enjoy being responsible for the communication and helping with the organisation and expansion of the company.
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