May Liok

Instead of using wheels or moulds, Amsterdam-based ceramicist May Liok builds her pieces entirely by hand. "I'm a hand-builder. I start with a lump of clay, knead it, pull it, and build it up. You can't make something a metre tall in one go. It has to dry, you return the next day, add another layer. Working with clay forces you to take your time."

Working with Clay

"I often glaze and fire at the same time, which makes the clay wet again and blends the layers. It gives a different effect than if you do those things separately. But I also like to leave work raw and unglazed. Then you see the texture of the clay, the imprint of my fingers. It keeps the piece alive."

"For a long time I worked mostly in browns, beiges, whites. Two years ago I was going through a challenging time in my personal life and something shifted in my work as well. I became much freer, less afraid of failure. Since then I've been using bold colours: red, blue, green, white. I don't see mistakes anymore, I try to embrace them. In clay as in life, things don't always turn out as you planned, and that can be the beginning of something new."

"It's hard to point to one source of inspiration, it's more life itself. Encounters with people, their energy. Working with clay is a form of therapy. But it can also be something simple that moves me, like bark on a tree. I'll take it with me to the studio and see if I can translate it into a piece."

The Studio and Daily Rhythm

"My studio is in a former school building in Amsterdam, which I share with two other ceramicists. The light is beautiful. Around us are furniture makers, fashion designers, artists. It's a real community. You can always ask someone to help lift something heavy, to spar about an idea, or just to chat. That atmosphere is very special."

"I used to always work with headphones on. I prefer listening to instrumental music that puts me in a trance-like state: Joep Beving, The Morning Show on NTS Radio, techno sets. But it can also be lovely to just enjoy the quiet. I used to set all these quite rigid conditions for myself. If I forgot to charge my headphones, I felt I couldn't work. I'm actually still learning how to let go of that, and I find it quite difficult at times. The good thing is, I'm getting better and better at it, though I haven't been able to fully set it aside yet. My partner is reading Rick Rubin's book at the moment (The Creative Act — A Way of Being) and he writes a lot about this, which I find really helpful and inspiring in my own process."

Books, Music, and the Kitchen

"I'm currently reading The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. Miranda July's All Fours really impressed me too. I prefer to read the old-fashioned way, on paper. Looking at my own bookcase, I see the journey of what I've read, how my interests changed throughout my life. An e-reader can't replace that."

"I love cooking lentils, beans, stews. But I'm the opposite of how I am in the studio — I like to follow recipes to the letter. It gives me peace. My favourite is spaghetti with caramelised shallots, anchovies and tomato sauce. A friend taught me the recipe eight years ago. It's salty, sweet, umami. I make it almost every week."