NAOMI TAPLIN
What appeals to people about something like your lovely studio enti hand-made ceramics?
In recent times there’s obviously been a massive shift back to hand-made. The story of the makers is in the piece. And I think people really do respond to that. It’s just such a tactile, physical experience as opposed to so many of our other creative aesthetic experiences. It’s kind of a portal back to really basic traditions and it’s accessible to everyone. You don’t have to be an art connoisseur to be able to appreciate ceramics; people can afford to buy themselves a beautiful cup and interact with it.
How have you fared over the last few years?
I think, over the last couple of years, obviously it’s been scary for everyone. And commercial and hospitality has always been my bread and butter. So that definitely had an impact on us as a business with the closure of everything for so long and the uncertainty. But, having said that, I was also incredibly lucky because I was working on a big commission for a hotel. And I think we’re so lucky that our economy seems to have been strong enough to just sort of get through it. So I’ve just had to keep pushing as hard as possible to get through.
As a business owner, it must be nice to be able to interface with people who love your work.
Yeah, it’s gratifying to know that people love your product enough to repurchase it and come back. And I’m really lucky because people are so grateful and appreciative of what we do. It makes me love what I do. I had my second baby in the studio with me after three weeks and, you know, I haven’t had a day off in nearly three and a half weeks, but I don’t ever get up and not want to do what I’m doing. That’s pretty cool.