Photo by Eliesa Johnson Photography
Joanna Craw for Evereve
In 2011, feeling unfulfilled by conventional career options, Joanna Craw took six months at her family’s cabin to make pottery, use her art degree, and shape her own story. For our series on forward-thinking women, presented by Evereve, the hands behind Fringe and Fettle Ceramics shares how her pieces toe the line between form and function, bringing beauty to the everyday.
What was it like to take the leap and dedicate yourself fully to your craft?
It was scary at the time, but I felt like I had skills to offer and nothing quite fit. Best-case scenario, I could only use 20 percent of what I had to offer. And I remember feeling frustrated. I thought, If I try to do pottery full-time, even if I fail, it would be worth it.
You went from spinning in solitude to fielding orders online and selling at markets. What was it like to grow that?
I’ve always been really focused on the micro, very day-to-day. Looking back, I can see the transformation, but while it was happening, I was focused on what was right in front of me. In pottery, there’s a lot of repetition, and there’s something really beautiful about that. You can do it, and then you think, I’m going to do that all again, but I’m going to just see if I can do this one thing better this time. And once you do that 12 times, your piece looks totally different.
How would you describe your pottery?
I think my pieces are pretty elegant and approachable—more minimal. I’m more shy and reserved, and in my pots, I really like the subtleties—tweaking an angle a little bit can really totally change the personality of a pot. I want people to be using my pieces. I try to make them inviting and use matte glazes or textures so people want to touch them.
Many of your pieces are inspired by your love of cooking. What do you love about it?
Cooking really lights up my brain. It’s a nice creative outlet, but it’s also low stakes—it’s pretty quick, and it’s not a big deal if it doesn’t turn out. It’s really stress relieving. With pottery, I’m a little more refined, and when I’m cooking, I can be a little more wild and adventurous—just throw things in.
Tell me about how you achieve a balance of form and function in your pieces.
I think about how much I want it to hold. How big it is tells me how heavy it should be; I want to know how the balance will feel in your hands. Then I focus more on design and where I can push things. I might make something a few times, and I’ll make the angle more dramatic every time. You just refine, refine, refine, and then find the right balance.
Describe the feeling of spinning a piece.
It’s very mesmerizing and satisfying. I work with porcelain mostly, and people say it’s like throwing with butter because it’s so smooth and slides through your hand. And you don’t need to push it out a lot; it responds to you. With porcelain, it’s common to get a bit of a wobble, so when you throw a piece and it’s dead-on—perfectly centered—you feel like, Yeah, I nailed it.
Where does your mind go when you’re creating?
I listen to audiobooks almost all the time while I’m throwing, and I love that because you can disappear into the book in your head but also be looking at your piece.
Tell me about your personal style.
In the studio, it has to be super practical and super washable. So, I pretty much live in overalls—you can bend and squat and move. Because I’m so messy and grungy in the studio, when I go out, I like to dress up and be a little more feminine. I get to show this other side of me.
Why did you choose this outfit at your Evereve fitting?
It was the outfit I was most excited to try on. I love how it makes me feel cute and fashionable but is also practical. It’s perfect for an art fair—I want to look nice, but I also need to haul bins of pottery.
On Craw: Paige jumpsuit ($259), Harriet Isles belt ($58), Dolce Vita sandals ($140), “Gigi” bracelets ($36), “Remi” bracelets ($38), “Laurie” bracelet ($38), from EVEREVE, evereve.com
This article originally appeared in the May 2022 issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine as part of our series, The Foreword, presented by Evereve.
