NAKOMA, A PATH OF GENTLE REBELLION

The name Nakoma means a “warrior” in the native american language and its story expands beyond and beneath and all around the ceramic pieces.

The end result is as important as the process behind.

Clay, the ancient way

Nakoma vessels begin with the wild clay foraging, the slow scouting for new locations where I dig up the dirt from the lands that carry me for 28 years. I always give back to Earth, in the form of small offerings. A guardian I made, or herbal tea leaves from the mountains. Through our relationship with the material, I believe, we honour the invisible.

Affinity for the scraps

I refuse to look for speed or hundreds of replicas of one cup. By having less and loving what we have, we protect the value of regenerative living. And so, I neither throw away clay leftovers.

I collect all the scraps in one big bucket for months and after the bucket is full, I cover leftover clay with water and leave it. For days or months too, until I decide to recycle it completely.

Then comes my favourite part: pouring and pushing the sticky, thick liquid through a sieve.

Features of single clays are then combined in the mixture of the bucket: not only colour of course, but also plasticity – stickiness, firing temperature and graininess. And I love mix-it all-together clays! They are smooth, clean again, OCD-satisfying recycled clays that usually fire in taupe sandy shades.

WoodFire kiln

Clay and fire are meant to be. And humans belong to this duo. It’s a full circle, communing with the land from the start to end. 

Co-living with cats and community

Cats represent a big part of my life. Our household used to have at least 12 foster cats and 4 permanent family members.  I’ve been collaborating with two NGO’s for helping stray cats, but also taking care of them on my own. This summer during our holidays in Croatia, me and my partner protected 10 stray cats, taking them to the vet to spay, neuter, mark (the ear, so it’s known they’re neutered) and vaccinate. This means less diseases, street fights and injuries, and less kittens without home. 

Community

I value community and autonomy of an individual, of society. And freedom. And expression. And that EVERYONE has the same opportunity to express. This is why I organise occasional workshops and tea gatherings, to strengthen the community, share moments of peace, connection with the Earth and expression of each individual. Tea gatherings are for now only done in closed circles but will extend to all, once I finish a tea mastery course.

My academic journey to Nakoma

ALUO, academy for fine arts and design, sculpture department, 2020-2024.

Exhibitions:

  • Participated in a group project, exhibition Human#Animal, Natural Science Museum, 2022, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Participated in a group project, exhibition Time and Immateriality,  Slovene Ethnographic Museum (SEM), 2023, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 3rd International Chawan festival, 2025, Miaoli, Taiwan

Connect with me