Anna Debono is a potter based in Brisbane (Meanjin) Australia. She began working with clay in 2020, and quickly discovered a passion for crafting functional pieces with designs inspired by nature. Looking through her body of works, you’ll find motifs inspired by sea shells, trees, flowers, stones and much more. These playful elements provide subtle variations within each set, giving each piece a unique quality to appreciate. The joy of discovering the individual character of your favourite piece, whether it’s a distinctive swirl or a groove that fits your thumb just right, is part of what makes handmade ceramics so special.

Anna especially enjoys finishing her works using wood-firing techniques. Wood-firing is an immersive multi-day process, with potters working in shifts day and night to keep the flames hot, before cutting off the oxygen and allowing the kiln to slowly cool. The dance of flames and ash creates unpredictable variations that further enhance the natural beauty of the clay. In Anna’s wood-fired works, you’ll see the natural variations in colour and texture this produces, as well as the distinctive marks created by shells and other materials used to keep pieces separate during this volatile process.

Perhaps the most special quality of Anna’s pieces is the way the design reflects the gesture of each piece: coffee cups with a fine base, so that a little sunlight breaks through with your last sip in the morning; wine goblets that naturally beckon your hands to fold around them in gratitude; candlesticks with layered ridges to catch the dripping wax. Through these details, Anna implores you to consider the beauty of these everyday moments that make up our lives.