East Fork Pottery, North Carolina
With its bucolic landscapes, warm climate and rich architectural history, its no wonder that the city of Asheville in North Carolina is the birthplace of a vibrant independent arts and crafts scene.
Located about 40 minutes outside of here is the home base of East Fork Pottery, a lovingly handmade line of ceramic tableware that puts durable, time-honoured craft at the fore. Founded by Alex Matisse – a great grandson of Henri Matisse -, his wife Connie and their co-founder John Vigeland, the label has steadily grown to recognition for its stylish yet enduring ethos.
Made from a proprietary blend of clays sourced from across the Southeast, every East Fork piece boasts a distinctive brown speckled surface that has become its signature. To create the collections, East Fork’s team wields a number of traditional artisanal techniques – jiggering, RAM pressing and wheel throwing – that is reflected in the physicality of the final pieces. Be it a vase, mug, popcorn bowl or five-piece dinner set, every piece comes armed with a gratifying weight and comforting minimalism making it as much about versatility as it is about bringing a touch of indulgence to everyday use.
Finished off with unique matte glazes that range from the natural, like a terracotta tone called Utah, to the playful, such as the delicate lilac shade called Taro, East Fork’s wares bring a refreshing, contemporary approach to stoneware that’s rarely seen. With a new factory and headquarters set to open this Autumn, which will enable visitors to get up close to the manufacturing process and also peruse the entire collection under one roof, East Fork is set to become the new standard when it comes to American-made dining ware.
eastfork.com
