Sara Flynn for Tekla
For its upcoming home fragrance collection, Tekla invited acclaimed Irish ceramic artist Sara Flynn to translate her sculptural porcelain pieces into a candle vessel.
For 25 years, Flynn has worked with porcelain, having discovered her affinity for the material while studying at Crawford College of Art & Design in Cork. Her practice is rooted in expertise and refinement, as her deep knowledge of the clay and iterative process allows her to develop intricate and expressive shapes.
In the studio, Flynn begins her process on the wheel but quickly moves on to alterations more distinctive to her work. She transforms simple thrown forms through cutting, pulling, scratching and reassembling as the clay moves through its stages of drying, infusing fine porcelain with dynamic volume, defined contours and rich surfaces.
The Tekla collection features three distinct glazes, developed by Flynn. Each strikes a balance of tone and texture, at once melting into the porcelain's surface while remaining receptive to the candle's light. True to Flynn's practice, glaze is a decoration, not a distraction.
This project marks the first time Flynn has translated a singular studio piece into a functioning object that can be repeated in industry. Doing so required close collaboration with production partners – a family-run factory in Portugal known for its expertise in slip casting, a process of pouring liquid clay into moulds. The final vessel is a result of this relationship and skill sharing, as techniques like 3D printing and hand finishing bring Flynn's shape to life while meeting a brief of function.
For 25 years, Flynn has worked with porcelain, having discovered her affinity for the material while studying at Crawford College of Art & Design in Cork. Her practice is rooted in expertise and refinement, as her deep knowledge of the clay and iterative process allows her to develop intricate and expressive shapes.
“As my skills have grown, I've been able to realise forms I first sketched in the late '90s. There's a visual language that has run through my whole career, revealed gradually over time.”
In the studio, Flynn begins her process on the wheel but quickly moves on to alterations more distinctive to her work. She transforms simple thrown forms through cutting, pulling, scratching and reassembling as the clay moves through its stages of drying, infusing fine porcelain with dynamic volume, defined contours and rich surfaces.
The Tekla collection features three distinct glazes, developed by Flynn. Each strikes a balance of tone and texture, at once melting into the porcelain's surface while remaining receptive to the candle's light. True to Flynn's practice, glaze is a decoration, not a distraction.
“There's a saying: 'A mediocre pot with a beautiful glaze remains a mediocre pot, and a beautiful pot with a mediocre glaze becomes a mediocre pot'. It's tough, but it's the truth.”
This project marks the first time Flynn has translated a singular studio piece into a functioning object that can be repeated in industry. Doing so required close collaboration with production partners – a family-run factory in Portugal known for its expertise in slip casting, a process of pouring liquid clay into moulds. The final vessel is a result of this relationship and skill sharing, as techniques like 3D printing and hand finishing bring Flynn's shape to life while meeting a brief of function.
“What fascinated me was the true collaboration – from refining the object for 3D printing to seeing that translate onto the factory floor. Every stage, from casting to glazing, became a shared effort, and that camaraderie was what carried the project over the line.”
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“As my skills have grown, I've been able to realise forms I first sketched in the late '90s. There's a visual language that has run through my whole career, revealed gradually over time.”
“There's a saying: 'A mediocre pot with a beautiful glaze remains a mediocre pot, and a beautiful pot with a mediocre glaze becomes a mediocre pot'. It's tough, but it's the truth.”
“What fascinated me was the true collaboration – from refining the object for 3D printing to seeing that translate onto the factory floor. Every stage, from casting to glazing, became a shared effort, and that camaraderie was what carried the project over the line.”
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