MADE TO ORDER

Brooklyn ceramicist Devin Wilde builds on his architectural training, drawing on classicism, art deco and postmodernism for his geometric creations

- JORDAN HRUSKA

American atist Devin Wilde admits to possessing perfectionist tendencies, but relishes the fallibility of his chosen medium, clay. ‘I find the ceramic process to be an integral part of my personal growth,’ he says. ‘Working with clay is humanistic. It teaches me to see and appreciate the beauty and wholeness in imperfection.’

The Brooklyn-based ceramicist originally attended Stanford University to study architecture, then pivoted to work in digital and user experience design before moving into the more tangible practice of woodworking. After completing two artist residencies working with clay at the prestigious Penland School of Craft and Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Wilde founded his ceramics practice in 2023. In his first collection, he slyly incorporates the more structural tenets of these former disciplines into vessels and side tables, while summoning references to a range of artistic and design movements imbues his pieces with an assured eternality. This has drawn the attention of major retailers, including Lawson-Fenning and Spartan Shop, which carry his work, as well as a growing number of architects and designers who have commissioned pieces for major projects.