Meet the Maker

Suzy Kietzmann makes fragile artworks out of a flexible white clay that are inspired by the ocean on her doorstep

After experimenting with different artistic practices over the years, Suzy Kietzmann is currently exploring the world of ceramics using a malleable white clay to create delicate, purely decorative vessels. “The clay is very pliable and I love the way it dries to a fine chalky fragility,” she says. “Some of my pieces have natural flaws, cracks and tears.” For the Papamoa Beach artist, who spent several years in the south of France with her daughter Poppy, the nearby ocean is a constant source of creativity. “My inspiration comes from the beach, the dunes, the matter washed up after a wild windy day,” she says. “Driftwood, shells, tumbleweed... Most of my work is named after a sea or beach-themed thing.” Suzy’s favourite pieces are those which evolve effortlessly, such as Born, which “looks like an egg with membranes stretched through the clay” and reminds Suzy of “new life, hope and innocence”. The artist makes her intricate, time-consuming artworks from a sunny light-filled home studio where she has views of the Papamoa Coastal Track and the Papamoa Hills from her workbench. Her garden opens onto a reserve and she welcomes visitors by appointment, always happy to have a chat and answer questions about her creations. See more of Suzy’s work at fragile.nz.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Suzy Kietzmann in her purpose-built studio at Papamoa Beach, a monochromatic space. Her work Coral. Corals Baby. Ocean.