Karen Swami's Portrait
A graduate of ESCP-EAP, Karen Swami built a professional path through finance and film production—yet always kept a potter’s wheel in her office and her ceramics vocational certificate (CAP) close at hand, reflecting her enduring passion for clay and craftsmanship.
Her passion for clay began at the age of five and has never left her.
Little by little, her larger pieces took over her space and time, captivating collectors and propelling her into the spotlight.
Black stoneware, white porcelain bisque, cobalt blue, celadon—her dynasties of forms and colors have asserted their own signature style.
Lines and Shapes interpreted by Karen Swami
Touching, throwing, smoothing, incising, inlaying—movement accompanies every stage of the ceramic-making process. For Karen Swami, each gesture is intentional, rooted in tradition yet refined through contemporary artistry. Her approach to ceramic art is both physical and meditative, allowing the clay to guide her hand while she shapes forms with precision and purpose.
During firing, the presence or absence of oxygen—through reduction or, conversely, oxidation—plays its part in revealing the final character of each piece. This crucial phase transforms glazes and hues, creating rich, unpredictable surfaces that make her handcrafted ceramics truly one-of-a-kind.
Form and Material
In the firing process, the presence or absence of air—reduction or, conversely, oxidation—plays its role, transforming the glazes and tones of the pots and jars.
One day, it became clear: the breath the work required was its own oxygen, its own breath—a fundamental form of asceticism.
Karen Swami becomes one with the clay she throws, leaving behind an undeniable trace.
