RAW BEAUTY

Ceramicist Anouk Kramer’s rural home and studio is a time capsule of authentic Dutch character

- JULIET BENNING

Anouk Kramer isn’t a woman enamoured with the fast pace of modern urban living. Found most days beavering away in the barn that acts as her ceramics studio in Holland, she has succeeded in creating a balance that perfectly suits her rural family-oriented life.

However, as with many of us, Anouk’s journey to creative fulfilment began in an office. Frustrated with her indoor existence as a children’s clothing designer, she decided to make the leap to freelance, which was when she found time to pursue her passion for ceramics. ‘My love for pottery began when I was a child sailing with my parents in Sweden and Denmark,’ recalls Anouk. ‘There was a real culture of making ceramics in the villages there that I was somehow drawn to. Pottery is less common in Holland than you might think. In fact, it’s far more popular in England.’