Makers

Danny Kaplan

Founded 2016 | Brooklyn, NY | Ceramics

About the Maker

Danny Kaplan Studio is located in a pre-war former bottling factory in Brooklyn. We chose the space for its capacity to accommodate large kilns with the intent to fire large-scale pieces—the tables, lamps, chairs, vessels, and sculptural items that constitute our inventory. Each work begins with a design sketch in which form and composition play a strong role.

Their team of skilled artisans use clay that is rich in grog and grit to build structurally complex forms. The resilient clay allows us to stretch the bounds of the medium. They use a variety of different ceramic techniques: wheel throwing, coil- and slab-building, finally coating each individual piece with slips and glazes to give the surface our distinct finish.

Once out of the kiln, the pieces have a smooth matte texture that evokes the ancient and the modern. The studio develops new engobes, slips, and glazes, experimenting with color and materiality. Their collection of table lamps uses solid brass hardware, silk-wrapped cords, and linen or paper lampshades. As artists and makers, Danny Kaplan Studio aims to create pieces that are both old and new, complex and primitive, minimalist and organic.