Bringing together a lifelong passion for clay and an exacting eye for form, Spencer Ceramics’ latest collection celebrates the beauty of everyday ritual through 100 individually handmade bowls.
Sculptural, tactile and quietly commanding, Spencer Ceramics is the work of New Zealand ceramic designer and maker Craig Spencer, whose background in interior design has shaped a considered approach to proportion, materiality and form.
His latest undertaking, the 100 Bowls Collection, sees that philosophy distilled into a series of one-of-a-kind vessels, with every bowl individually wheel-thrown or hand-built by Spencer. Created using a warm, earthy palette of clays — including locally sourced New Zealand earth — the collection embraces the subtle variations inherent in handmade ceramics, making no two pieces exactly alike.
Designed not simply to be admired, but to become part of the rhythms of daily life, each bowl speaks to Spencer’s interest in elevating the everyday. Across the collection, organic textures, restrained silhouettes and tonal finishes make each piece as compelling on its own as it is grouped alongside others.
The 100 Bowls Collection represents countless hours of making and a deep commitment to a craft Spencer has pursued throughout his life, while drawing on the designer’s broader experience creating considered interiors and objects.
The complete collection is currently housed at Studio Italia’s Auckland showroom, where the ceramics sit naturally alongside the showroom’s edit of contemporary furniture and design.
Grouped together on a shelf or set apart on a plinth, these ceramics do the work of sculpture without demanding a gallery. They are available now through Studio Italia, offering an opportunity to take home a piece of locally made contemporary craft.
