erin neelands ceramics

Erin is a ceramicist living in the mountains of central Portugal. She comes from the cold and majestic land of south-central Alaska. Immersed in creative practice amongst beautiful natural surroundings, she designs both decorative vessels and unique hand-built functional ware for the home. Erin began working with clay at a young age, leading her to earn a BA in studio ceramics at The Evergreen State College, Washington, USA.

Her work is a combination of slab and coil built vessels finished using the ancient method of pit firing. The colour comes from layering dried organic material - all collected by hand - and powdered oxides amongst the pots. As the organic matter combusts, gases are released onto the pots leaving behind a range of colour. She is inspired by indigenous American pottery forms and uses many similar building and firing techniques in her process.