The Z List: Introducing Rae Blunstone

It’s been a sort of pick-n-mix journey to where I am now – from studying ceramics at university, to venturing more into editorial and assisting on an interior magazine as well as trend forecasting, I’ve always enjoyed working in and around design; handling, discovering and creating nice things.

My focus and one true love has always been ceramics, having studied it at art college and then university. Simultaneously, I’ve always had a passion (or perhaps it's nosiness) for discovering new design talents and understanding what goes on behind-the-scenes of creative workspaces. Having meandered through experiences of working at a gallery (Aram Gallery); an interiors mag (Elle Decoration) and trend forecasting (Stylus), I’ve had the great fortune of travelling to design fairs to meet designers and make some interesting creative pals.

Clay Collective has Instagram in part to thank. After spending many a minute scrolling through the profiles of like-minded clay-loving folks, I got in touch with a couple of girls (Sophie Alda and Milo Liren) who turned out were also super keen to look for a space with which to practice ceramics more regularly than local classes would allow. We met up, roughly this time last year, on a cold November evening in Hackney — along with Adele Williams and Emma Clercq: the five of us were all in the same boat clay so took the proactive (and kind of scary) decision to form a collective and find our dream space. It was a daunting moment to say “yes” to a space and pay the advance rent when there’s only the initial five members, but we held a couple of “Wanna join us?” meet-ups and found plenty of demand and seven lovely new people to join, pretty quick. 

My instant reaction would be to say that it’s because I’m an avid tea drinker, but I love Japanese tea bowls and the ritual encased around tea drinking in that part of the world. They’re often simple, but perfectly formed and fitting to the hand. Perhaps, even understated in their simplicity – achieving that simplicity is incredibly difficult; it’s the epitome of craftsmanship and rigorous trial and errors.

Craft to me immediately means appreciating the hand of the maker; the nuances of personality. A crafted object can reveal so much about the maker; it’s place and time. 

Craft has somewhat shirked its old and tired connotations in recent years, with a resurgence of people wanting to make things with their hands, whether it’s moulding with clay, printing or painting with a brush – there’s a definite desire to recalibrate our time spent in front of a screen. I think that’s what’s important to be about the notion of craft, is that it doesn’t mean taming our technological devices or necessarily quitting the city for a life of a solitary potter, but the balance in between making; designing and living well. The intersection between work and play’s the place I find most interesting.

How does it feel to be part of the launch of The Z List? 

Absolutely lush! Zetteler are a dream team of design-championing machines. It’s truly great to be asked to be part of The Z List alongside some brilliant designers. I’m sure this is only the beginning of a creative compendium “go-to” for buying independent design.

I was super sad to leave Clay Collective – they’re an awesome group of humans. Our like-minded love of clay brought us together; while our collective principles mean that we’re happy and keen to share ideas and skills. It’s a really positive and nurturing environment; one that I’m going to miss as I set foot starting out solo. I haven’t found a studio space as such, but have an outdoor patio and good weather to take advantage of – if anything, the pots will be drying quicker in the sun that’s for sure.

The mysterious malleability of it all! You never know how the material is going to behave, and even if you have a glaze-recipe/kiln-firing sequence nailed down, you can never put your money on the end-result. The after effects are often so different to what you begin with. The possibilities (and various probabilities) with the material’s form, structural integrity, colour and finish are endless!

Buddy is a sort of play on the typical bud vases ideal for holding small sprigs of flowers. It started as a semi-ode to a Grecian urn — I wanted to leave the slightly rippled and rustic markings in the surface to denote the hand of the maker and a sense of dilapidated ageing. Pretty soon it took a life of its own and developed a character – handles appear more like little ears and so it became personified. Buddy… a little pot pal.

I’m a restless character. Ceramics is both an outlet for making, and something to focus my attention (it’s a lot trickier than it looks). For me, it’s interesting how the material can mimic things I’m feeling or taking inspiration from at certain points in my life.

I tend to be drawn to typical archetypes – teacups, bowls – vessels that we identify with and have an immediate connection with on an everyday/utilitarian level. And then I like to alter them slightly. Usually it’s a playful twist on the form; bringing additional to the function.

Get your own Buddy Vase on The Z List for £36.