The shape of a trace
A STUDY 002 by New Works and Wilma Nawara
They say there’s a part of you in everything you do. In some cases, it’s almost unperceivable, the most hidden detail. In other cases, the imprint is so characteristic that it is completely unmissable. That mark of yourself in your creations is incredibly special. It is unique, individual and completely unmatched. It is crafted by your experiences, memories, places and people.
For Wilma Nawara, a ceramic artist from the Netherlands, her trace is imprinted through her hands, her material experimentation and the raw tracks of nature on her pieces. Based in Ferrel, a coastal town in Portugal, Wilma draws direct inspiration from the rugged landscape that surrounds her, as well as the reflections of rocks and sand formations. Her curiosity drives the implementation of antique ceramic processes, leaving marks of pebbles and wild clay from the beach on her pieces.
“I’ve always been drawn to design and making things by hand”, explains Wilma. The artist studied Industrial Design Engineering in the Netherlands, but she felt that the rational approach applied in her studies did not align with her vision. “After completing my bachelor’s, I took time to travel and search for a more personal way to express my creativity”, she adds. During that time, she tried a ceramics course and fell in love with the freedom of determining her own process and timeline. “Working with clay felt intuitive and open-ended, it’s such a flexible, accessible material”, she continues, “I could shape pieces based on how I felt they should look, without needing to justify every decision”.
For a long time, ceramics were something deeply personal that she worked on while continuing to travel. “While traveling through Portugal, I accidentally found myself in Ferrel”, she reminisces, “I’ve always loved being near water and Ferrel is a cute little coastal town, with cliffs and beaches at your doorstep”. Initially, the town was one more stop on her long trip. Nonetheless, she decided to stay for the winter. “I never left”, she laughs, “It’s been 2 years now”.
Wilma’s pieces are turned on the wheel and shaped by hand, blending technique with rawness. When satisfied with the result, the ceramist rubs pebbles collected from the shore against the exterior, a motion that compresses the surface, creating a smooth yet textured finish that invites curiosity and touch. “I first learned about the burnishing technique in Mexico”, Wilma states. “There’s something meditative about the repetitive motion, and I love that the surface keeps subtle marks from the process”, she describes, “it holds a kind of memory, a trace of the care and time that went into making it”.
New Works A STUDY, an ongoing creative workshop by New Works that creates limited-edition objects born from material exploration, introduced this past April a small, thoughtful batch of handcrafted cups by Wilma Nawara. The collaboration came to life as a form of exploring textures and shapes for the purpose of creating a functional and poetic cup for everyday use.
“For this collaboration with New Works, I’ve used more of a semi-burnished finish, something in between rough and fully polished”, she shares. By doing so, the pieces still carry the crude texture of the clay, while introducing an added softness. “I liked the idea of finding a balance between the natural, tactile qualities of the material and a more refined, intentional surface”, she comments, “it complements the minimalist forms while still having the clay’s character coming through”.
The contrast between the softness and the rawness is a constant reminder of her surroundings: the beach and the way water, sand, rocks and wind all interact to sculpt the cliffs and shoreline over time. “I try to combine clean, simple shapes with a subtle reference to these organic textures and processes”, she notes. Drawing upon the hues and the textures of the shore, the final piece combines her signature delicate edges with a defined geometrical silhouette.
“I believe the cup carries a sense of timelessness”, she remarks. The unique burnishing technique leaves faint details, continuously revealing varying directions, new depth and softness, enhancing the tactile experience and highlighting the hands that shaped it. The ceramist’s artworks become instruments that provide meaning to every moment of connection: “Whether it’s enjoying your morning coffee from your favorite cup, or proudly displaying fresh flowers in a vase”. “There are already so many objects that just exist without added value, that I think the world can only gain from creating pieces that carry intention and meaning”, she concludes.
