I discovered my love for ceramics in 2019 while working a 9-5 job. What initially began as a modest handful of workshops rapidly evolved into a creative obsession. I found that from the moment I put my hands in clay, I could spend hours in a focused bubble engaging in its tactile qualities, its wide allowance for the unexpected, and its limitless possibilities. My enthusiasm grew so much that I barely worked on my 9-5! Not long afterward, I began my full-time art practice – a shift that was as much a journey through uncertainty as it was of transformation and fulfillment.

Prior to ceramics, I spent over twenty years as a graphic designer and consider this work, as well as my time in fashion design, a great influence on my sculptural approach: I bring a respect for experimentation, prototyping, and research into my pieces, and think deeply about how people experience their surroundings. With a focus on pigmented clay, I am passionate about celebrating historical and time-honoured processes while pushing the creative boundaries of my materials.

Presently, I cultivate my artistic practice through several avenues: as the founder of ToRu Ceramics; exhibiting my work; developing education programs in pottery studios around the city; and meeting, collaborating, and knowledge-sharing with ceramic artists around the world. 

This year, I am honoured to have received the Henry Goodman Award for Best in Show from the Fusion Clay and Glass Biennial. I am thrilled to be undertaking my first clay residency at Blue Studio located in Perth, Australia.

About ToRu Ceramics

The name ToRu comes from the names of my two grandsons, Tomo and Rui. 

Stemming from a love for the handmade, ToRu is a one-woman production line of functional pottery. My pieces offer a moment of contemplation in a fast-paced world – an invitation to slow down and find meaning in one’s environment. 

With clear views of the West Toronto Railpath, clay pigments, and tools of the trade, my studio environment reflects the values of the work itself: slow, exploratory, intuitive, and grounded in the rhythms of daily life. 

I am inspired to imagine that one of my handmade pieces will brighten a small spot in your home.

What are Nerikomi and Neriage?

We first need to understand coloured clay: unlike glazes (which are a layer that sits on top of a clay surface), colouring clay is the act of integrating pigments directly into the clay body itself.

Originating in Japan, Nerikomi is the labour-intensive process of stacking, cutting, and layering coloured clay to form patterns. Neriage (also known as “agateware” or “marbling”) involves kneading different coloured clays together to create a swirled effect – to be used as a layer in a Nerikomi block or as-is. 

In my studio, I explore both processes extensively. With the organic nature of mixing coloured clay, every pattern emerges as a discovery. I am constantly intrigued by the unique outcome of each piece.

Artist Statement

Working in wheel-throwing, hand-building, and coloured clay, I pursue inspiration from the natural world, reflecting and reimaging landscapes that hold personal meaning to me. 

My past experience with fashion design galvanized an interest in perceiving how things are put together; I think of Nerikomi blocks as a fabric from which I can cut and assemble, similar to garment creation. I am fascinated by how the infinite pattern-making possibilities of Nerikomi can become a conversation between control and chance, where the material itself holds onto moments of transformation. Working with clay becomes a ritual of searching and responding, where I infuse the intricacies of my surroundings into my ceramic vessels. 

I capture moments from quiet observations: geological formations, patterns of water and sky, interplays of light and colour. I do not consider my work to be “landscape” in the traditional sense. By eliminating horizon lines and grand panoramas – which mark the dominant landscape convention – I wish to reveal intimate and ever-shifting details of nature. 

My work advocates for a continual process of listening, with the belief that doing so allows for a reciprocal relationship with the living world. I invite viewers to consider the often-overlooked details of our shared environment, fostering deeper awareness and wonder of the relationships around us.

View my CV here.