● Ceramics
Ioulia Chante · Malta
Ioulia Chante is a Greek architect and ceramicist based in Malta, and the founder of Babau Ceramics. Working across wheel throwing and sculpture, her practice explores zoomorphic forms that blur the boundaries between human, animal, and imagined bodies. Through these hybrid figures, she creates pieces that reflect emotional states and inner tensions, drawing on myth and storytelling to reveal quiet, shifting aspects of human experience. Read our interview with her.
Wheel thrown and hand sculpted in pigmented cobalt stoneware, Cyriopia is made by Ioulia Chante in Malta. Formed as a single piece and semi burnished with a brush, the vessel carries surreal, arachnoid features that explore phobias rooted in memory. Selected areas are glazed, and the piece is fired at 1260ºC, creating a surface where texture, colour, and form hold both tension and presence.
Each singular work carries its own provenance and the distinct voice of the crafter.
Wheel thrown and hand sculpted in white stoneware mixed with stainless steel residue flakes, Ramaria is made by Ioulia Chante in Malta. Inspired by fungal forms, the piece develops an organic, branching presence through its sculptural surface. Finished with a double layer of matte chrome and transparent glaze and fired at 1260ºC, it carries a subtle interplay between texture, light, and material transformation.
Each singular work carries its own provenance and the distinct voice of the crafter.
Wheel thrown and hand sculpted in white stoneware, Estuary is made by Ioulia Chante in Malta. The amphora form is complemented by handles shaped as seahorses, drawing on the flowing elements and creatures of reefs and rivers. Finished in a matte pale green grey glaze and fired at 1260ºC, the piece carries a quiet balance between playfulness and natural form.
Each singular work carries its own provenance and the distinct voice of the crafter.
Wheel thrown and hand sculpted in stoneware pigmented with iron oxide, Ranunculus is made by Ioulia Chante in Malta. Blending frog and plant forms, the piece takes on a surreal presence while functioning as a candle holder. Hand painted with pigmented slips and subtly spray glazed in a glossy transparent finish, it is fired at 1260ºC, creating a surface where form, colour, and imagination come together.
Each singular work carries its own provenance and the distinct voice of the crafter.
Wheel thrown and hand sculpted in pigmented iron oxide stoneware, Blaze is made by Ioulia Chante in Malta. Positioned between sculpture and function, the piece explores suppressed and unexpressed emotions through a form that contrasts with its role as a scented diffuser. Selected areas are glazed and the surface is semi burnished with a brush, then fired at 1260ºC, creating a balance between intensity, texture, and presence.
Each singular work carries its own provenance and the distinct voice of the crafter.