Celeste Iida
When I asked Celeste if she felt more of a functional potter over arty, she had a big laugh and said a resounding “Functional.” I did point out her many art pieces and she added “Well, since I started participating in exhibits with ART from the ashes, I’ve explored my artier side.” And she’s done that with zeal. Drawing on influence both nautical and other worldly, she has crafted piece that are mystical and quiet. From swirling reliefs to crazy spikes, Celeste says about her work, “I like to think outside the box and sometimes really stretch that thought. Even have it stab you.” Once I mentioned that a bunch of tiny slip dots on one of her pots were very pointy and kind of hurt, she just laughed and said “I know, I kind of meant it to be that way.”
Celeste spent the first 20 years of her life as “my mother’s slave” as a seamstress. “If I had realized the design and creative aspects of clothing creation could be something wonderful like what is done in film, I would have stuck with it, but that was not what my mother did.” Looking for a way to explore her creative side, she -finally, after much insistence of a good friend – took a class in ceramics. “I was hooked. I like having my hands in clay and being muddy.” All said with a laugh. “Sure, I really like the design aspect and the creating, but the best part is getting dirty.”
Celeste is not only a member of the Covert Potters Association, she is also the president of the American Ceramic Society of Southern California – Design Chapter. “The position just kind of came my way and I figured that since I’m a very organized person, I knew I could do it.” So when she’s not working her day job in healthcare or creating some of her lovely pots, she’s helping to organize some of the most amazing and informative workshops and exhibits for the organization’s members.
All this has me wondering: When does she sleep?
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- Soup Bowls
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- Coffee Cups
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- Votive Holder
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- Large Urchin
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- Celeste Iida
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