As we start a new year, Ariana Kier of Olla Ceramics, becomes our US representative. Ariana is a ceramicist and soil catalogist based in San Diego, California, who leads clay workshops for artists, focussing on foraged materials.

Together, we have worked towards intercepting clay from construction sites in the US, using the same philosophy and framework we have developed in London. We are excited to give more creatives access to materials that would otherwise be on their way to landfill, providing an alternative to commercially mined minerals.

Read our interview with Ariana below:

Can you share your journey into becoming a ceramicist and soil catalogist? What initially drew you to working with local materials, and how has this focus evolved over time?

My early ceramics career was focused on dinnerware for restaurants. I longed for my work to have a deeper connection with nature, the kind I had when burrowing my hands into earthenware under oak trees as a child. Integrating natural materials felt like a massive undertaking, and there were less educational resources then. When I left the city after a few years and returned to my family’s home in the mountains of San Diego, I picked up a Kumeyaay pottery shard from the wet earth after a rain. It clicked that I was surrounded by the wisdom to integrate these materials, and the elders’ spiritual framework of how to connect to them. I could never express enough gratitude for the expertise and insights shared with me by the Kumeyaay community, past and present. They are the longest standing collective of artists and material scientists available and I encourage anyone beginning with natural materials to look to the indigenous people of their area.

The sediment collection expanded with voracity once I began integrating the byproducts of the clay processing (twigs, small stones, sand, etc.) into my work. I started to see all natural materials as potential contributors to the story of their source location. I try my best for the pieces to still appear natural in their original environment, either by complement or contrast, which is why I often bring the pieces back to the collection site to photograph.

The goal of my work is to share my truth, that the soil beneath our feet is novel, beautiful and living. Maybe, if something so frequently overlooked can become fascinating and admired by the average person, our collective sense of wonder and protectiveness about the Earth will expand. The collection continues to grow from the contributions of many lovely people who bring me clays, ochres, ashes, and stones from their corners of the world. I’m warmed by the lasting friendships I have built over a ferocious love for hand-harvested clay.

Golden Earth Studio provides a platform to make construction clay waste accessible. What motivates you to work with these materials, and what unique challenges and rewards do they present?

I appreciate that foraged materials are not manufactured for performance; each holds its own unique strengths and weaknesses, which forces me to step back as the sole influence and allow the material to guide the work. Creating with single-sourced clay feels like being in dialogue with the DNA of a specific place in nature, and I strive to make work that can advocate for that place. I much prefer this experience over the sense of domination I feel when trying to push porcelain to its limits. The time spent processing and testing a foraged material develops a personal bond before the making begins—something you can’t replicate by purchasing clay or glaze material in a store. 

How do you believe Golden Earth Studio’s approach to using construction clay waste can influence both the ceramics and construction industries? 

Well unfortunately, connection is not built into the capitalistic model, each individual is forced to work towards an end goal, and the relationships between most industries reflect that. Opening communication between these groups seems so simple. A contractor pays to dump displaced clay from their worksite into a landfill, while a potter drives by toward their local clay shop and purchases a bag of clay for $25-$45. The price includes the labor of mining, factory processing and global shipping, but not the environmental costs. The potential for symbiotic relationships is all around us, yet it requires active effort in a non-egalitarian society that does not inherently promote such collaboration. 

When I led clay foraging workshops in Los Angeles, I encountered professional potters who, as residents of an urban sprawl, had no real access to sufficient quantities of natural material to substitute their use of commercial clays. Yet, new foundations are being dug in the county around the clock. I’m incredibly grateful for the system that Golden Earth Studio has built to foster these connections. It is a brilliant symbiotic relationship, one truly tailored to the modern world. Artisans have an opportunity to be part of a distinguished global collection created for the good of the planet.

Can you share examples of projects or pieces you’ve created that demonstrate how using local materials contributes to a sustainable ceramic practice?

It’s been many years now tinkering with new concepts and collections based on different natural techniques. The Kumeyaay, the indigenous people of my area, use cactus gel to increase the plasticity of their rough earthenware. By combining wild clay sand byproducts, gathered from the mountain that leads to this stretch of coastline, and the extracted gel from native kelp, I can increase the functionality and create endless variations in the texture of the clay bodies I already have in my studio. I’ve omitted glazes almost entirely, preferring to employ instead low-fire clays which melt at the same temperature my clay vessels mature.

I’ve found great variation in color by exploring the sulfides and other contaminants in urban runoff (with strict safety protocols for collection and handling, of course). This was the theme of a collection of moon jars I made from the famous skim-boarding spot in Laguna Beach, Aliso Creek. Local Seafood restaurants provide me with leftover oyster shells to make whiting for glazes, the opportunities with natural materials are truly endless.

What vision do you have for the future of Golden Earth Studio and its role in promoting sustainable practices in the arts and construction? How do you see your role contributing to this vision?

I’m honored that Golden Earth Studio has entrusted me to help expand their initiative to the US. I view it as a joyful opportunity to bridge communities in Southern California and hope it inspires more international collaborators to join in and expand it to their own cities. Perhaps the model will even inspire new connections within other industries. Symbiotic relationships are a fundamental law of nature, it feels natural to work toward fostering these connections. My personal goal has always been to be of service to my fellow living beings, the evolution of my craft and the prosperity of my home planet. Kahil Ghabrin wrote “Work is love made visible,” and I see this work with Golden Earth Studio as a reflection of that