Catching up with Omelet Trees Studio

Loving the shadow-play here! 

No stranger to the ceramic scene, Omelet Trees Studio is a local ceramic brand - made up of husband-and-wife duo, Nigel and Sarah - that has been going from strength to strength with their contemporary take on handcrafted tableware. We have to say, it is always very refreshing to see their spin on functional ceramics as they are always experimenting with new techniques and styles. 

We first worked with them for our Open Studio in 2019 where their tableware pieces attracted quite a bit of attention! We knew we had to try to get them back for our 2020 Open Studio edition as we have been (not so quietly) stalking their new tableware series on Instagram.  

Hi again, guys! We're intrigued by your new bubblegum series, tell us a little bit about the series. 

The bubblegum vase! 

The bubblegum series was actually developed from an earlier series that dealt with curious objects and forms. The name of that particular series was actually called 'OBJECT'.

We were intrigued at how a unique non-referential shape of a vessel would have an inherent presence of its own. This series is currently still being developed, as with many of our other series. The bubblegum style of glazing was mainly to give the pieces a Pop Art aesthetic, which we thought might accentuate their odd form. 

The Shan Shui vase stands out a fair bit in our display!

Oh yes, your Shan Shui vase garnered quite a bit of attention during the Open Studio!  

For the Shan Shui vase, it is actually an individual one-off piece that investigates clay texture and glaze behavior. As the name suggests, it draws reference from the mountain and water landscapes in traditional Chinese paintings.  

A close-up shot of the Shan Shui vase

It's been one crazy year, how has Covid-19 / Circuit Breaker period affected your pottery work?

During the circuit breaker, we did not manage to make any work at all, since our studio was inaccessible during that time! Along with many other artists all over the world, our pottery work met with a pretty severe decline this year.

Many ideas that were waiting to be developed were put on hold. But of course, that left us with lots of time to spend with the family and we are truly grateful for that nonetheless. Now that the situation has improved slightly, we are working hard, making up for lost time and trying to prepare for at least one decent shop update before the year (2020) ends. 

Their Flow platters (and catchalls - not pictured) had our customers ogling and snapping away. 

It is always so refreshing to see you always trying to innovate and try new styles or technique. Are there any pottery techniques or firing methods that you have always wanted to try but haven't had the chance? 

In a craft like pottery, there is an incredible number of things that one can do and try. And because it is so time-consuming, spending time working on any area of work means there's an opportunity cost of not being able to develop some other aspect.

In terms of working with clay, we would very much like to be able to make time for throwing larger works, possibly those that require multi-segment joineries and the use of a blowtorch! 

In terms of firing, we would like to try pit firing and raku firing mainly because these techniques are really more than just about the pots themselves. The long processes of these two firing techniques are also partially about the interactive experience of partaking in the final stage of a pot's creation - which is unlike what we are usually used to during electrical oxidation firing that tends to be very passive. 

Their ever-popular dimple cups 

That's interesting, we're going to keep our eyes fixed on you guys for your next series! Also, we've realised that most (if not, all) of our customers recognise your brand instantly when they see your products, which is definitely a good thing! Where do you go from here and where do you see your brand in five years?

Wow, that is a very big question! Five years ago, we didn't think we would be anywhere close to where we are today. At some point about two years ago, we were actually ready to take an indefinite hiatus due to certain new circumstances. But then the opportunity to continue working in our craft presented itself, and of course we jumped at it! 

At this point, we're happy to be even making any work at all. I guess in 5 years' time, we hope Omelet Trees Studio would be somewhat of a household name in terms of locally handmade contemporary ceramics. We know there's quite a bit to be done before we get there, so we'll have to see where life takes us!

--

From 22-30 January 2021, Omelet Trees Studio, together with other Singapore-based ceramicists, will be exhibiting their work at Ceramic Expressions - an annual exhibition series that aims to provide a platform for ceramicists to explore new motifs, styles and techniques. This year, there will be a showcase of a total of 27 works from well-known international and exciting Singaporean ceramicists! More details can be found here.

Here are a little more snaps of their products, enjoy!

Casper vase in pink salt (left) and Comfort vase in blueberry (right)

The Flow vase - the flow series remains as one of our favourite ceramic series

A shot of their Sunset classic vase!

OTS's display table during our Open Studio