Taste_of_the_South_-_October_2019

OCTOBER 2019 | taste of the south 42

AFLORIDANATIVEWITHALOVEFORART,LaurenYtterbom

hasfollowedhercreativepassionsfromItalytoNewYorkto

SwedenandallthewaybacktotheSunshineState.Foraslong

asshecanremember,Lauren’slifehasbeeninterwovenwith

art—creativewriting,dance,drawing,music,painting,film.She

evenattendeda fineartsmagnethighschoolinJacksonville,

Florida,andstudiedthefineartsatFlaglerCollegeinherfuture

homeofSt.Augustine,Florida.Yearsdowntheroad,whileshewas

studyinginNewYorkCityandworkingasa creativeartstherapist,

Laurenfinallyfoundthemediumthatwouldbecomehercalling.

“MyinterestinceramicsblossomedwhileI wasgettingmy

master’sdegreeatNYUin2012,”sherecalls.“Ifellinlovewith

throwing[pottery]anditbecamemycreativeoutlet.”

Severalyearslaterin2016,whileshewaslivingin

Swedenwithherhusband,thiscreativeoutletbecame

somethingmore.“Duringthatyear,I spentsometime

inCopenhagen,Denmark,andhadtheopportunity

toattendanintensiveceramicworkshopunderEric

LandonofTortus[afamousDanishpotterystudio],”

Laurenexplains.“Imeta reallygreathandfulofartists,

andI thinkitwasencouragingmomentsandconversationsI took

awayfromthatexperiencethatgavemethefinalpushtogoforit.”

SheandherhusbandrelocatedtoSt.Augustine,whereshe

settoworkfoundingLaurenYtterbomCeramics.Witha clean,

classic-meets-contemporaryaesthetic,Lauren’spiecesattract

loversofmoderndesignaswellastraditionalform.Aglance

throughhercollectionisa studyinminimalistperfection:soft,

mattecolorspairedwithsimpleyetstunningaccents.Eachone

isbeautiful,functional,andhandmadeinanextensiveprocess

takenonwiththeutmostattentiontodetail.Andateachstepof

thisprocess,it’sLauren’shands—andonlyherhands—thatguide

eachmug,tumbler,plate,vase,orbowl.

“Mybusinessisa one-womanshop,”sheexplains.“Every

pieceI makeonthewheelstartsasa lumpofclayandevolves—

wedging,coningandcentering,pullingwallsandshaping.”

Apieceisthrownonthewheel,thenspendshoursdrying

beforeLaurenstartstrimmingandrefining.Fromthere,the

finishedpieceislefttodryforuptoa fewdays.Onceitreaches

the“bone-drystage,”itgoesinthekiln,whereit’sfiredforthe

firsttime(whichcantakeupto 24 hours).ThenLaurenadds

theglazebeforefiringthepiecefora secondtime.

“TheChristmasmorningfeelingyougetwhenyouopenthe

kilntoseeyourfinalworknevergetsold,”shesaysoftheintricate

process.“Iloveit!”

AndthatloveofthecraftdrivesLauren’sconstantquest

fornewtechniquestomaster,materialstoincorporate,and

partnershipstoform.Whetherbyexploringnewbasematerials

orfindingwaystobringwood,leather,orrecycled

fabricsintoherdesigns,Laurenisconstantly

pushingherself.

“Idon’tlimitmyselftooneclaybody

ormaterial,”shesays.“AssoonasI startto

feelcomfortablewithoneparticularglazeor

combination,that’sanindicationthatit’stimeto

switchthingsupandcontinuetoevolvemywork.”

Laurenkeepshercreativeinstinctonitsproverbialtoesby

workingwithlocalbusinessesandartists.Inrecentyears,she’s

provideddinnerwareforrestaurantsCatch 27 andIcePlantBar;

partneredwithTheKookaburraCoffeetoprovidehandmade

lattemugsandespressocups;crafteda honeypotforsmall-batch

honeymakerStubbees;andteamedupwithSt.Augustine-based

artists,likeJennaAlexanderandAnnaNúñez,tocollaborateon

newanddistinctiveproductlines.

“I’vealwaysreferredtoSt.Augustineasa gemoftheSouth,”

Laurensaysofherchosenhometown.“I’minfluencedbythe

creativecollectivehereandthewaythiscommunitytrulyvalues

andsupportslocalartists,musicians,andentrepreneurs.”With

thesupportofhercommunity,it’sclearthatLauren’screative

energyisflourishing,andthisone-womanshopisn’tslowing

downanytimesoon.

Meet the Maker

LAUREN YTTERBOM CERAMICS

OPPOSITE PAGE (Top Row) Lauren Ytterbom; plate from partnership with Florida-based artist, designer, and illustrator Anna Núñez; Lauren’s handmade mugs are

one of her top-selling pieces. (Middle Row) Bowl and plate from Lauren Ytterbom with Anna Núñez; Lauren describes her signature aesthetic as a “complement of

classic form and modern functionality, with roots in Scandinavian design.” (Bottom Row) Find Lauren's work online at laurenytterbom.com.

“That Christmas

morning feeling

you get when you

open the kiln to

see your fi nal work

never gets old.”

St. Augustine ,

Florida