About Me

Hi, I am Lisa, originally from the UK, I have also recently become Belgian, and am currently living in Amman, Jordan.

I make unique, handmade wares for the home from my small studio space in Abdoun.

Ayva, the name of my ceramics brand, means quince in Turkish, which is an ancient fruit that symbolises abundance and love. Ayva, or quince, connects Turkey - where I first found ceramics and where quince is native - to our home in Belgium, which has a garden full of aromatic quince trees.

Before becoming a ceramicist, I had a varied career including being a travel guide writer for Lonely Planet, a writer and picture editor for Elle Decoration UK, and a rights coordinator for a library for the blind in Geneva.  It was when living in Istanbul that I found my happy place in making ceramics.

Initially, experimenting with clay and colour was an antidote to my computer-based work. It was great to do something tactile again, literally getting my hands in mud, and slowly and meditatively creating something beautiful to use in our home. Soon I was dreaming about the possibilities of ceramics, and realised I wanted to focus on designing and handmaking my cups, bowls, vases and dishes full-time. When we moved to Jordan, I brought a kiln with us, claimed the top floor of our house, and made it into my studio.

I realised that something made of the hand is special, and that these objects inherently add soul and dimension to a space. A row of small vases, a textured glaze reminiscent of the sea, or an abstract block of colour on a mug, can bring a sense of calm and a meditative quality to a busy home or space.

Techniques

I use a combination of hand-building, slip-casting and wheel throwing, as well as decorating with carving (sgraffito), resist and various layering glazing techniques.

Styles, Ranges, Inspiration

I have two main ranges:

The Texture and Colour range is inspired by Jordan's landscapes and seascapes. I use stoneware clay, and these feature organic and contrasting texture, as well as lush, depths of colour using layered glazes.  Within this range are my Coast Vases and Amman Bowls.

The Mid-Century Modern range is inspired by the design and bold graphics of the Mid-Century style, I use mainly earthernware clay and carving (sgraffito) techniques for drawing designs, and translucent colours to bring out the detail. For the more geometric designs: pops of colour and various resist techniques are used to create tactile matt and gloss contrasts.