Azalea Lantern – Artist Anniversary Series
Becky’s 20th Artist Anniversary piece, the Azalea Lantern, began a couple years ago during one of the studio’s “Pottery Olympics”—our team-based, playful, informal challenges—when she and Alek were paired together and landed on marrying a floral motif with the form and funciton of a lantern. Becky has always gravitated toward flowers, and cutouts have long been her way of giving them depth and contrast, a signature that runs through all of her previous anniversary work. Here, that same instinct takes on new purpose: pierced openings let light spill outward from a tea light candle nestled at the base, catching the edges of the petals from within. For the glaze, she pairs Light Violet, one of the studio’s newest glazes, with Sage, building a soft, tonal composition inspired by Van Briggle pottery—the studio where Becky got her start in clay. It is our tradition at Ephraim for artists to commemorate a milestone at the pottery with a special design. This year Becky Hansen celebrates this momentous milestone. Artist Anniversary Series pieces are available for only one year. Becky’s Azalea Lantern will retire on August 4th, 2027. Artist anniversaries signify much more to us than merely “loyal years” of coming to work. Artists at the studio exert a major influence on the ever-evolving art that we make. The aesthetic sensibilities and honed techniques of each of our members collectively define Ephraim’s art. It is a beautiful—and novel—model for an art pottery. Individual sensibilities make our art eclectic and yet the way these ideas filter through others, make our pieces cohesively Ephraim. Candle NOT included. Handmade ceramic pottery. Please expect and embrace the variation inherent in our process.