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.
