But I have clay!

When one door closes, the other door opens.

My journey from a corporate career to becoming a potter. 

From building a corporate career to becoming a potter

How does happiness look like:  Me, on my first time behind the potters’s wheel at 2018

Hi, it’s nice to see you here !

My name is Kristjan Klementi.

I live in Estonia, in Tallinn, a small country at the shores of Baltic Sea, where I make fine ceramics in my tiny home studio.

My journey to ceramics began in 2018 when I had a desire to take some ceramics classes during the summer holiday, instead of the classes I rented a potter’s wheel and bought thirty kilos of clay, set up the wheel in my garden and made my first attempts to throw something. Naturally, nothing worked out for the beginning, but it was learning and trying that eventually made the thing. By the end of summer, I had quite many bowls, vases and mugs thrown so I could take the Christmas gifts from my own makings. I had to return the wheel after 6 weeks of throwing. But that 6 weeks took my hand and my heart.

Next year I planned to do the same again, instead of renting the wheel I decided to buy the potter’s wheel. By the end of the year, I also received my own kiln so I could fire my makings on my own.  Ever since I have made countless number of vessels.

Then came covid and we all needed a place to work from home offices. I made some rework in my garage and this became my office and my studio – with a potter’s wheel and kiln in one corner and my working table at the other corner.

I have not studied art or ceramics. I do not have any art school diplomas, what I have learned is all by making and studying the result and with each vessel I make I have learned how to make them even better.

My education was electronics, but that was at the beginning of 90’s, so you can imagine how much this area has developed over time.

Last 25 years I have been working in area of Supply Chain and Logistics, working in big international corporations in almost all various position of Supply Chain. My last job in this was regional logistics manager taking care of Finland and Baltics logistics in a food and beverage company.  Things happen, and when being a middle manager you are always a subject for organization changes. This happened to me as well, when in spring 2022 together with a merge of or regional responsibilities my role became redundant.

When one door closes the other opens. Sometimes life opportunities open with events that are not so pleasant. I revised what is important for me, as well what I want to do. My heart is with making things with my hands. I love this what I do and put my heart and passion into it. This is where I store energy, and this is where I draw it from.

This shortly has been my path, from career in international corporation to a maker of handmade ceramics in a tiny home studio. Perhaps, I just need more space for my studio.

Potters hands throwing a pot on potter's wheel

The value of handmade

Before industrial revolution hands were the ones making everything we needed in our lives. While factories can make a lot of cheap things then hands of a master are the only ones that can add love, care, attention and mastery to the work they make and there is always art in crafting a fine ceramic vessel.

 

My first ceramic jar

In 2009 we celebrated our daughter’s birthday in a ceramics workshop, we all made our hands dirty with clay and hand built what our imagination described, and hands were able to do.

My first ever ceramic jar was made there, and it still stands in an honorable position on my studio shelve.  I think this is the time I got “infected”.

My first ceramic cup made at 2009

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