Clay & Connection

Cisco & the Sun’s studio in Fremantle, Australia is based between the Swan River and the Indian Ocean. Around the corner from the Dingo Flour Mill, the street ends at a wooden bridge that leads to the sea - bright blue water, white sand, and, a little further up the beach, a seaside sauna. “Our day starts by opening the doors, putting on a balmy soundtrack, lighting incense and making a coffee,” co-owner Sarah Hendriks says of mornings with her husband and business partner Sam. “We then check emails in the morning sun and dive into either teaching, or our own time on the wheel and designing.”

The couple first met on the Western Australian coast. “We shared a cup of tea and have been within reach ever since!” Sarah remembers. A season in the Kimberley followed, when Sam was working as a chef at a remote bush camp. “That time up in the Kimberley felt expansive and grounding, giving us an appreciation of the land here that we continue to draw inspiration from in our design practice today.”

Making together began early in their relationship. “We have been creating together since our early twenties,” Sarah says of their ongoing collaboration. In Sydney they founded hospitality venues, before moving into products. “Sam’s a chef by trade so he went from making the food to making the plates, after falling in love with the art of ceramics.” Sarah’s background is in marketing and styling. “I enjoy brand building and working on team culture and experience.” Their return to Perth, Sarah’s hometown, gave them more space to house their business and teach pottery workshops, “connecting people over clay.”

Designs move easily from sketch to form. “We come to each other with imagined ideas and we will usually sketch them up roughly before Sam creates them on the wheel,” Sarah says, “or we use our slab roller and hand-building techniques. Some ideas we draw up and are sent straight across to our team in Cambodia to sample first.” This Cambodian studio has been shaping Cisco & the Sun pieces for more than six years. “I love this process. It’s where we see the pieces come to life,” says Sarah. They work closely with the makers there, discussing ideas before moving into sampling.

Set among lush green foliage, the Cambodian space is large and open, “with wooden detailing that catches the morning and afternoon dappled light,” says Sarah. The clay is mixed and dried in the courtyard. Inside, the glaze is mixed, “all by hand, down to the grinding of rocks,” and there is a hand-building station. Five wooden kick wheels are the focal point of the studio, and they have recently introduced two electric wheels.

The atmosphere is communal, rooted in craft and daily rhythm. “The team chat away, and you get this warm feeling that they love this craft, and creating here. Potters all around the world know this feeling well,” says Sarah. “Around midday they put down their tools and head back home for a cooked lunch with their families,” she says. “I love this ritual, pausing to eat with the people you love.” When she visits, she finds that despite the language barrier they understand each other through the “language of pottery. Laughs shared, appreciative nods and respect for this craft together.”

Seventeen artisans work there, and some have been there for decades. Mr Reth, who has been at the studio for 10 years, prepares the clay, mixing it from three sources in the mountains. Mr Ouk and Mr Sophal create most of Cisco & the Sun’s pieces on the wheel, while Mrs Som has been with the studio for over a decad and glazes them alongside her team. “Then there’s Mr Vanne,” says Sarah. “He has been working on Cisco pieces since the very beginning and knows our work better than anyone.” He’s been with the studio for 20 years and is in charge of the firing process, which is important as the reduction-firing method needs to be monitored closely.

The clay itself is distinctive. “It’s mineral and iron rich, reacting with elements in the glaze during the firing process to form unique markings,” says Sarah. “The deep natural earth colour and the texture is something to be experienced. Their clay is so beautiful we can’t even begin to recreate it here.”

From Australia to Cambodia, at the heart of the studio’s ethos lies a simple wish. “Cisco & the Sun exists to celebrate the time-honoured tradition of gathering around a table,” says Sarah. “We hope that the slight variances in glaze, the texture of the clay and marks of the maker are a reminder that these pieces came from the earth and are made thoughtfully by hand,” she says. “This can be felt, if you let it. It really is an honour to be able to offer them.”

Discover Cisco & the Sun ceramics.

Words by Alice Simkins Vyce.

Photography by Matthew Biocich and Tof Hendriks.