Ceramics
Elsa Claesen · Portugal
Elsa Claesen is a ceramic artist from the Netherlands based on the Silver Coast of Portugal and the founder of Studio Elsa. Working primarily with hand built ceramics, her practice explores colour, organic forms, and the relationship between material, touch, and everyday objects.
With a background in Lifestyle & Design and several years working as a product designer in Amsterdam, Elsa approaches making through experimentation, intuition, and play. Each piece is shaped slowly by hand using techniques such as coil building, allowing irregularities, movement, and small imperfections to remain visible as traces of the making process.
Working mainly with earthy clay bodies such as terracotta and warm brown stoneware, Elsa combines raw surfaces with vibrant glazes that bring contrast, colour, and joy into each object. She creates pieces that balance functionality with sculptural presence, celebrating the tactile qualities of handmade objects and the character that emerges through imperfection.
Read our interview with Elsa.
Hand built in dark brown stoneware using the coil technique by Elsa Claesen in Santa Catarina, Portugal, Vase No. 4 Glacier embraces sculptural form through its glacier inspired silhouette, shaped by the natural movement of the hand building process. Finished with a transparent glaze that highlights the natural colour of the clay alongside a matte light blue glaze, the piece reflects Elsa’s interest in organic forms, colour, and hand built surfaces.
Hand built in warm brown stoneware using the coil technique by Elsa Claesen in Santa Catarina, Portugal, Vase No. 3 Crater embraces sculptural form through its fluid, twisted silhouette, shaped by the natural movement of the hand building process. Finished with a marbled glaze of soft sky blue and butter yellow, the piece reflects Elsa’s interest in colour, organic forms, and the traces left through making.
Hand built in warm brown stoneware by Elsa Claesen in Santa Catarina, Portugal, Vase No. 1 Magma embraces sculptural form through its irregular, undulating silhouette, where no two angles look the same. Finished with bold, playful splashes of glaze that bring contrast and colour to its earthy clay base.
Hand built in dark brown stoneware using the coil technique by Elsa Claesen in Santa Catarina, Portugal, Vase No. 2 Pebble embraces sculptural form through its organic silhouette and hand shaped surface. Finished with bold splashes of cobalt blue glaze that bring contrast to its earthy clay base, the piece reflects Elsa’s interest in colour, irregular forms, and the traces left through hand building.
Hand built in stoneware by Elsa Claesen in Santa Catarina, Portugal, the Wall Hook Freeform · 2 Hooks combines functionality with sculptural form through its irregular shape and warm nude finish. Designed for everyday use, whether hanging bags, textiles, or other objects, or simply standing alone as a piece of wall art, the piece reflects Elsa’s playful approach to ceramics and interest in creating handmade forms for daily spaces.
Hand built in stoneware by Elsa Claesen in Santa Catarina, Portugal, the Wall Hook Freeform · 3 Hooks combines functionality with sculptural form through its irregular shape and warm nude finish. Designed for everyday use, whether hanging bags, textiles, or other objects, or simply standing alone as a piece of wall art, the piece reflects Elsa’s playful approach to ceramics and interest in creating handmade forms for daily spaces.