About Liselore the creator
Liselore completed the Dutch Ceramics Program in 2011. Starting in 1996, she attended the Design Academy and the Hoge Hotelschool, during which time she completed internships in China (Xi’an) and Thailand (Bangkok). It was there that her passion for Asian ceramics and aesthetics was born, as well as her love for the Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies—and, not least, her love for Robert, whom she met during her internship in Bangkok. They now have two beautiful daughters: Anna and Eline.
As a toddler, Liselore’s parents would drop her off at the playgroup in the clay corner and pick her up there again. It just took her a while to discover the potter’s wheel. One of her great passions was cooking, but after working as a professional chef for several years, she realized she enjoyed making pots more than stirring the contents of them. When she sat down at the potter’s wheel for the first time, it was love at first sight. She hasn’t been able to tear herself away from it ever since.
Liselore’s specialty is that she throws her work exceptionally thin. Drawing on her background in design, this is her response to thin cast pieces, which are more common than thin-thrown ceramics. The fact that the maker’s touch is always evident in a thrown piece appeals to her more than sleek cast pieces. The imperfection resonates with her more—something she also finds in the Japanese wabi-sabi tradition.
The high level of technical skill required to do this work means it never gets boring. With every piece, she tries to push the limits of how far the clay can be stretched.
Glazes are her other passion. Whereas Liselore initially created glazes based on their beauty, she now increasingly seeks to imbue her glazes with a story, adding extra layers of meaning to her works. She draws inspiration from both near and far: the famous Haarlem skies for the Hemisphere Signatures and Japanese tradition, complemented by Dutch discoveries, for the Diffluence collection. Her own life experiences constantly provide new perspectives, making it a journey of discovery that never ends.
Japanese art and philosophy serve as an important source of inspiration in this regard. As a hobby, she practices Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, in which she sees many parallels with her approach to ceramics: the flow of the lines, the art of omission, and the mastery of manipulation. The poetic aspect of Japanese art and language also inspired her to create the new Diffluence series.
In this series, her works blend into their surroundings and engage in a dialogue with the nature she loves so much. A theme she has explored previously—“transience”—fits seamlessly within the wabi-sabi tradition. Her use of found materials for her glazes also ties into this. She has experimented with this before (art installation “Disposability”) and continues this exploration in her current work. This adds a deeper layer to her work, as the glaze indirectly reveals its origins and the environment from which it comes.
That ongoing quest for depth also took shape in LiLo Ceramics starting in 2013. Over the next ten years, Liselore built the company into a thriving brand with retail locations all over the world. She invested a great deal of time and energy into this, but at the same time felt it was time to move forward in her personal development. She needed to delve deeper and wanted to give more space to her artistic and poetic side. The exhibition “MA 間 Embrace the Space” served as the starting point for freer work.
Liselore the artist is supported by Liselore the artisan. Only through a high level of technical skill is it possible to throw the clay so thinly and make it move the way she wants. These are not accidents or mistakes, but a quest for the perfect balance in movement. This also applies to the vases she creates for Hemisphere Signatures. The frayed openings are intentionally created because this imperfection adds tension to the form.
Just like real life.
