Pax Ceramics draws on the Californian landscape

Pax Ceramics distills California’s sunshine and beach-friendly vibes into functional forms. Its first collection, entitled ’The Breakfast Club’ (pictured), melds familiar Japanese, Bauhaus and Scandinavian styles into a happy amalgam

(Image credit: Pax Ceramics)

By Pei-Ru Keh

last updated 28 October 2022

For those skeptics who might dismiss the idea of the American West Coast being better than the East, the free-spirited ceramics company Pax Ceramics makes a convincing case for the relaxed Californian lifestyle, with a collection that will enliven any table.

Founded by Mia Herron Kantor in 2015, Pax has distilled all the sunshine and beach-friendly vibes into functional forms. Aesthetically, its pieces are inspired by the clean, bold lines of the mid-century design movement in California, while glazes channel its natural environment, ‘golden hour’ sunrises and sunsets, the Los Angeleno icons that perpetuated the Light and Space movement and the colour palettes of Georgia O’Keeffe and Josef Albers.

Pax’s methodology actually combines CAD programming and 3D printed prototypes with traditional pottery techniques and sketching to create its elegant shapes. The pieces are made from a sturdy stoneware clay and finished by hand. Its first collection, entitled 'The Breakfast Club', melds familiar Japanese, Bauhaus and Scandinavian styles into a happy amalgam. Ranging from bowls and carafes, to cups and vases, whose uses are all subject to interpretation, the collection espouses a cheerful versatility that we could all have more of in the home.

Pineapple in bowl — Founded by Mia Herron Kantor in 2015, the brand creates pieces inspired by the clean, bold lines of the mid-century design movement, specifically in California

Egg in bowl — Its glazes are inspired by ‘golden hour’ sunrises and sunsets, and the Los Angeleno icons that perpetuated the Light and Space movement, as well as the colour palettes of Georgia O’Keeffe and Josef Albers

Cactus — Pax’s methodology actually combines CAD programming and 3D printed prototypes with traditional pottery techniques and sketching to create its elegant shapes

INFORMATION

’The Breakfast Club’, from $24. For more information, visit the Pax Ceramics website (opens in new tab)

TOPICS

USA Ceramics

Pei-Ru Keh is the US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru has held various titles at Wallpaper* since she joined in 2007. She currently reports on design, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru has taken a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars and actively seeks out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.