Process
Process
Each MNO piece is handmade, start to finish. Hand-built, hand-thrown and hand-glazed by the artist, no two are the same.
A serial tinkerer with a wide DIY streak, Darren is obsessed with glaze experimentation, pioneering thousands of techniques and finishes. Along with imported minerals, MNO has used local potash, silica, shale and granite in his vast repertoire of glaze recipes. No purist, he also plays with non-traditional surface treatments like silicone, spray paint and metal.
The whole process of making matters as much to him as the final work. MNO digs clay, literally, heading to secret spots to forage for raw, local earthenware. In these works, he leaves in twigs and stones, so-called impurities that make things a little unpredictable.
MNO experiments with temperatures, fuel sources and atmospheres to activate the elemental alchemy of ceramics, transforming mud and minerals into beautiful, lasting objects through the application of fire and air.
MNO’s love of problem-solving extends to his forms, which he is always evolving, subtle morphs whose recent riffs include rough rims, elongated vessels and rounded bottoms. He tweaks classical ceramics elements, blurring the line between sculpture and function. Alongside his art pieces he continues to produce beloved production lines, including the cute characters of his Whimsical series and the clean lines and muted shades of his Japanesque collection.
