Incandescent Porcelain – Naomi Taplin of Studio Enti

Producing handmade ceramic lighting, tableware and home décor through her design practice, Studio Enti, Naomi Taplin leaves her mark on every product she crafts. Each porcelain piece is designed and made by hand in Sydney, Australia, using the underlying principles of design longevity, sustainability and a deep respect for the materials and processes from which they are created. Crossing the boundary between function and sculptural form, Naomi delivers pieces that interact, transform and elevate spaces, taking on a life of their own to enhance the ambience of the everyday.

TLP: Hi Naomi, tell us about tell us about your creative path and how you got to where you are now professionally.

NT: A somewhat winding path led me to launch Studio Enti. A solid love for the medium of clay from childhood has seen me traverse through tertiary expeditions in photography, sculpture, law and journalism, and then back to the role of maker and designer.

Growing up with parents raising a large family on the back of a pottery business means I have an innate understanding of the amount of time and physical labour required to sustain a ceramic livelihood, as well as the struggles associated with it.
The ability to run my own business and develop my craft has been something that has required consistent drive and push to maintain, but the company and creative vision have developed as we’ve taken up amazing opportunities.

A background in hospitality gave me a strong desire to design and make tableware to enhance the experience of dining for high-end restaurants, as well as for everyday domestic use. The development of lighting was a natural evolution from this. My love affair with porcelain meant I wanted to experiment with the medium, using light and translucency to transform shapes.

TLP: Tell us a bit about your process. Do you do a lot of research or is your method more instinctive?

NT: The process of developing new forms has generally been informed by studio practice. Experimentation and failure in the studio is a must. Utilising existing forms and experimenting with beautiful Australian porcelain, together with the element of light, meant that I was able to bring some of Studio Enti’s classic shapes into the architectural realm through the development of lighting pieces.

My love affair with porcelain meant I wanted to experiment with the medium, using light and translucency to transform shapes.

TLP: What are some of the challenges you encounter in your work?

NT: The nature of handmaking is itself a lesson in acceptance and resilience. Ceramic production in particular is fraught with challenges, as each piece is touched by hands hundreds of times. When a material passes through so many processes to its final form, you push the boundaries of stability and success. All elements of craft require care, patience and skill and an understanding of the fragility of each individual piece. Besides the regular rollercoaster of a small business, humans working in the design and production of ceramic pieces face many trials, and the daily experience can vary from incredible highs and inspiration to frustration and tears.

TLP: What experience does your work aim to inspire?

NT: It is my intention to create pieces that engage the user in a subtle and fulfilling way. That people are happy to adorn their most precious spaces and daily tasks with the lighting Studio Enti creates is a true privilege. Ultimately, the lights are interactive pieces. They exude warmth, texture and light at night and bring a sculptural effect to spaces during the day. They continue to evolve and transition as the day progresses. It’s this almost live quality I love about lighting design.

TLP: What is your design philosophy?

NT: As a maker of objects, it is incredibly important to me that the physical objects I am adding to this earth are also adding enough value to the humans experiencing them that it does, in a way, counter the environmental cost of the materials. The pieces I make are designed for longevity and to give the user a sense of value, but also to recompense the overall energy we generate in their use. Integrity in materials and production processes, locality and sustainability combine to form a business ethos I aspire to uphold.

That people are happy to adorn their most precious spaces and daily tasks with the lighting Studio Enti creates is a true privilege.

TLP What are you working on at the moment?

NT: After a few years of careful prototyping and development, we’re ready to up-scale production and capacity for the lighting range in our Sydney studio. Right now, we are working on beautiful, evocative collateral and kits to assist our trade partners in their experience of introducing us to their customers. We’ve been collaborating with external creatives to communicate the new lighting on offer our design philosophy and getting word out that we now have a comprehensive range of lighting range in addition to our tableware. It’s an exciting evolution for the business as our lighting is already gaining traction and we’ve recently been involved in some interesting and inspiring projects.

TLP: What has been inspiring or influencing you lately?

NT: I’m so inspired by colour, so our colour palette is always evolving. As well as our signature palette, we continue to develop and create new hues. At the moment, the mood influencing my life is dominated by natural tones, and these are prevalent in our new lighting campaign. Heavy greens and greys – darker moods that are quite a departure from previous Studio Enti work – connect me to a sense of earth and depth of light that I am constantly looking to for grounding and calmness.

TLP: What themes do you typically explore in your work and why?

NT: My work is subtle in the exploration of themes. Honesty and integrity of material and purpose are the base for the development of my lighting designs. Innate to the existence of the pieces is an exploration of light transitions – the way shadows are cast and transition from morning to night, the way the porcelain amplifies this process and how our hands and the marks we leave in the clay will influence these transitions. There’s a very unique feeling when working with porcelain, and the uniqueness of each piece is drawn out through the handcrafted process of our products.

TLP: What other interests do you have outside your creative practice?

NT: I must admit I don’t have a lot of time outside of the studio, but I do love to keep in touch with what is going on in the hospitality space, given my background and the fact it overlaps with my business somewhat. I love to get away from business by visiting family in Queensland, and I maintain a strong interest in the work being done by inspiring leaders in environmental advocacy in Australia, particularly in the forest and environmental preservation space. Although, I’m not as involved as I would like to be due to the pulls and demands of an expanding creative business.