ARTIST

Anouk Kramer is best known for her rustic pottery with its subtle golden lining but also for her richly decorated tulip vases, unmistakably of Dutch provenance. ‘I find it so funny that all I need to make people happy is a lump of clay and my old shed!’ Since 1995, she is making potterie, Anouk’s work is sold in a selected group of stores in the Netherlands, including Menno Kroon in Amsterdam.

Spijkerboor, Noord-Holland. Here, in an old farmhouse at the end of the world, ceramist Anouk Kramer lives with her family: her husband, three daughters and all her animals...

There’s no such thing as climate control in here — dry weather makes a different plate than humid weather. ‘I made designs for a new shed yesterday. Something a little more spacious would be great.’ She sweeps a table clean, throws a log on the fire and asks her eldest daughter to make us some tea. Her hands and apron are covered in clay and she looks straight at me with her clear eyes. She has a sort of purity common to Scandinavian women.

’Where does she find her inspiration? ‘The outdoors just as much as the city. The idea that I can go to town to visit a museum and then return to these fields. I’m not someone who needs to be constantly fed by the city’s impulses.’ Being out here means taking care of the animals, boating on the ditches that run between the meadows and hunting with her family. ‘I find inspiration in hunting. I like how complete the story is: you clean and eat the animal you shoot. It’s as simple as it gets.’ Over the last year the most one sees of Anouk’s work is in magazines. Especially the rustic tea cups, bowls and plates with a golden rim. All black clay, white glaze and perfect in their imperfection. No plate is like the other. ‘I like to give beauty to everyday objects.

My clients are also a source of inspiration when they come to me with their ideas. There’s a lot of love in my work. In every cup and plate. I hope people feel that, that they feel me’. Being in the moment, seeing beauty in the details plus a healthy dose of perspective and humour: it all seems so easy for her. ‘ a woman who wanted me to make her a collection of big tea mugs — something I don’t really like because I prefer things to be elegant. But I worked on it and found that if I made the handles really small, you still had to hold this big cup in a dainty way. Sometimes people come to me and say, “I can’t get my fingers through the handle.” Well, that’s exactly the point.’

Anouk’s work is sold in a selected group of stores in the Netherlands, including Menno Kroon in Amsterdam. But she also has more commercial line, Anouk for &K in the shops of &Klevering based on the idea that her work should be accessible for everyone.

Words by Stephanie Pander

Photography Stella Gommans

Tableware

The rustic tableware is turned from black clay by hand, then glazed white and is perfect in its imperfection. All pieces are unique. “I like to add beauty to every single object”. There is no such thing as climate control in her workshop. Dry weather produce a different plate than humid weather.

Shop MENNO KROON Cornelis Schuytstraat 11, in Amsterdam

Tableware

There are 3 lines in the tableware : EDGE White with four different edges – GOLD White with a golden edge – EDGE, different colours in EDGE or GOLD : queens blue – apple green – dark brown – pink – blue gray – black gray – purple – light yellow. Mix the colours, or a complete apple green dinnerware set.

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Tableware
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Tableware
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Tableware

Vases Masterpieces Collectible

VASES handmade basic vases for daily use. MASTERPIECES for instance the richly decorated tulip vase with ornaments, unmistakably of Dutch provenance. Or the golden wild boar sauce tureen. BESPOKE, create your personal dinnerware, by adding your own monogram. COLLECTIBLE yearly new items for Valentine’s day, Easter, and Christmas.

Shop MENNO KROON, Cornelis Schuytstraat 11, Amsterdam

Bespoke BIRTHDAY AND LETTER Plates,

Shop ARCHIVE STORE, Frederiksplein 16-17, Amsterdam

Vases Masterpieces Collectible

VASES The basic handmade vases for daily use. MASTERPIECES Wether the richly decorated tulip vase with ornaments, unmistakably of Dutch provenance. The golden wild boar tureen for the sauce. And the BESPOKE collection, you can make your personal dinnerware, with your own monogram. A birthday plate with the name of the new born baby. COLLECTIBLE Every year new items for Valentine, Easter, and Christmas.

Collectible >
Vases - Masterpieces - Collectable
Masterpieces >
Vases - Masterpieces - Collectable
Vases >
Vases - Masterpieces - Collectable

Anouk for &K

Anouk for & K is a commercial line produced broadly and in large volumes, in collaboration with & Klevering, a wholesale store. Anouk is the designer of this line. Based on the idea that her art work should be accessible for everyone. Pieces are available at & Klevering, or at well known department stores, and museum shops world wide. Such as the Bijenkorf, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Visit klevering.nl