Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

11.5” W x 5.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

10” W x 7” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

9” W x 5.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

9” W x 3.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

24” L x 11” W x 3.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

23” L x 10.5” W x 6” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

23” L x 11.5” W x 5.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

22.5” L x 10” W x 3.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

22” L x 9.5” W x 5.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

23.5” L x 11” W x 4” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

15.5” W x 5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

15” W x 4” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

14.5” W x 4” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

14” W x 4.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

The Romey is our smallest, sweetest basket and measures 6-7.5” wide by 4-5” high.

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

8” L x 8” W x 7.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall. The dusty blue color glaze is 100% residual studio material (glaze waste primarily) collected for a year and then recycled.

8.5” W x 6.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

22” L x 6” W x 5.5” H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

9.5 W x 6.25 H

Made with iron-rich stoneware clay, hand built and fired to 2300F in a gas kiln. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and can live on a tabletop or counter or hung on the wall.

10” X x 7.25” H

Atmospheric River is a revisualization of digital imagery into an ancient material, binding technology with the handmade; the present with the past, and bringing (more) attention to our current climate crisis. Stein used an image acquired on January 4, 2023, at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Standard Time by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite as inspiration to make this piece.

Handmade terracotta tiles are the substrate for two glazes that were swirled together in individual ½ cup batches to create the color and line quality. The glaze was poured onto the tile for a generous and fluid application, following hand-drawn lines that charted out the image. The tiles were then fired to cone 5/2200°F in an electric kiln, leveraging the high heat to distort the image and create psychedelic glaze effects that conjure the theory of primordial soup, the galaxy and beyond, rivers, oceans, and other natural phenomena. The blue glaze in this piece is 100% studio bi-product collected in 2022 as a closed-loop sustainability experiment.

The undulating surface of the tile and grid formation references a well-used navigation map and brings the individual into the piece as a player in the climate crisis. It is an introspection on what it means to be a contributing factor to the tragedy of the climate crisis in the Anthropocene Epoch (The Anthropocene Epoch is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change.), marking this moment in time of our collective experience of severe historic weather.

Dimensions: 60" wide x 44" tall x 1.5" deep

Each verticle column of tiles are hung separately making this piece modular and adaptable to your ideal location. 32" x 32" total dimension

Tile rendering (data visualization) of California's annual precipitation in a 1:1 ratio showing inches of rain represented by blue photographic ink fired into glazed surfaces of remnant tile. Each vertical line represents a calendar year, left to right 2010-2021.

Cited from NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance: Statewide Time Series, published February 2022, retrieved on February 27, 2022 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/

Handmade remnant tiles are soaked in cobalt dye and fired to reveal microscopic fractures in the glaze surface, simulating macro and micro views of drying landscape, deltas, flowing tributaries, and cracked soil. An homage to the preciousnessness of water and broken landscapes. 

Each verticle column of tiles are hung separately making this piece modular and adaptable to your ideal location. Shown here: 73" tall x 60" wide; individual tile column: 47" x 3"

An homage to the preciousnessness of water and broken, landscapes. Decorative white porcelain plate overlayed with custom photo transfers and genuine gold metallic accents. Image transfers and gold are applied by hand then fired into the glaze and do not fade over time. 

10.25" diameter

click HERE to see the reflective gold surface interacting with light!

Atmospheric River is a revisualization of digital imagery into an ancient material, binding technology with the handmade; the present with the past, and bringing (more) attention to our current climate crisis. Stein used an image acquired on January 4, 2023, at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Standard Time by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite as inspiration to make this piece.

100 handmade terracotta tiles are the substrate for two glazes that were swirled together in individual ½ cup batches to create the color and line quality. The glaze was poured onto the tile for a generous and fluid application, following hand-drawn lines that charted out the image. The tiles were then fired to cone 5/2200°F in an electric kiln, leveraging the high heat to distort the image and create psychedelic glaze effects that conjure the theory of primordial soup, the galaxy and beyond, rivers, oceans, and other natural phenomena. The blue glaze in this piece is 100% studio bi-product collected in 2022 as a closed-loop sustainability experiment.

The undulating surface of the tile and grid formation references a well-used navigation map and brings the individual into the piece as a player in the climate crisis. It is an introspection on what it means to be a contributing factor to the tragedy of the climate crisis in the Anthropocene Epoch (The Anthropocene Epoch is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change.), marking this moment in time of our collective experience of severe historic weather.

Collaborators:

Imaging: The original image was scaled and split into two color channels in order to be translated into ceramic material by University of Cincinnati intern Lam Do.

Clay processing: Rose Gitlin rolled and cut over 100 tiles for this piece as well as glaze testing, and overall studio support.

Lead installer: Cleat system and precision layout provided by Tyler Nagel.

Dimensions: 80" tall x 147" wide

Collaborating with the winter rains, the tiles are first coated in a base layer of opaque underglaze and then held under the rain to remove material and create a photographic surface effect. The result is a ghostly image quality with a poetic mood.

Porcelain, underglaze. Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

10.25" high x 7" wide x .38" thick

Collaborating with the winter rains, the tiles are first coated in a base layer of opaque underglaze and then held under the rain to remove material and create a photographic surface effect. The result is a ghostly image quality with a poetic mood.

Terracotta, underglaze. Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

12" high x 6" wide x .38" thick

An homage to the preciousnessness of water and broken, landscapes. Decorative white porcelain plate overlayed with custom photo transers of Lake Ontario and genuine gold metallic accents. Image tranfers and gold are cut and applied by hand then fired into the glaze and do not fade over time. A percentage of this sale will benefit water preservation non profits.

Click HERE to see the reflective gold surface interacting with light!

10.75" diameter

An homage to the preciousnessness of water and broken, landscapes. Decorative white porcelain plate overlayed with custom photo transers of Lake Ontario and genuine gold metallic accents. Image tranfers and gold are cut and applied by hand then fired into the glaze and do not fade over time. A percentage of this sale will benefit water preservation non profits.

Click HERE to see the reflective gold surface interacting with light!

10.25" diameter

This series references the tradition of commemorative wall plates and is a tribute to the value of water while the reflective surfaces implicate the viewer's role in the conversation of conservation. 

Photographic images printed with ceramic ink are composed and fired onto readymade porcelain plates. Genuine gold luster is applied and hand-painted onto the surfaces.

Not intended for food.

Dimensions: 12" diameter, 1.25" deep

This series references the tradition of commemorative wall plates and is a tribute to the value of water while the reflective surfaces implicate the viewer's role in the conversation of conservation. 

Photographic images printed with ceramic ink are composed and fired onto readymade porcelain plates. Genuine gold luster is applied and hand-painted onto the surfaces.

Not intended for food.

Dimensions: 12" diameter, .5" deep

...

Quench: Things For and About Water is a culmination of ceramic work by Kala Stein. The exhibition explores motifs of water, fragility, and changing landscapes through vessels, wall work, and experimental design. 

Stein considers the ceramic process a metaphor for geologic and climate change and uses the kiln to simulate geologic transformation. Cracking, melting, and fusing photographic imagery, earthen material and metallic glaze, she explores the wonder of ceramic material, the love of being near water, and laments the depletion of natural resources.

By leveraging the inherent fragility of ceramics, a theme emerges that contemplates beauty, value and loss within the context of climate change in Northern California.

For more information on Kala, or to see more examples of her work, please visit kalastein.com or make an appointment for a combo studio/gallery visit by calling or texting 585-490–1019

Exhibition: March 16- Apr 30, 2022

This series references the tradition of commemorative wall plates and is a tribute to the value of water while the reflective surfaces implicate the viewer's role in the conversation of conservation. 

Photographic images printed with ceramic ink are composed and fired onto readymade porcelain plates. Genuine gold luster is applied and hand-painted onto the surfaces.

Not intended for food.

Dimensions: 12" diameter, .5" deep

This series references the tradition of commemorative wall plates and is a tribute to the value of water while the reflective surfaces implicate the viewer's role in the conversation of conservation. 

Photographic images printed with ceramic ink are composed and fired onto readymade porcelain plates. Genuine gold luster is applied and hand-painted onto the surfaces.

Not intended for food.

Dimensions: 12" diameter, .5" deep

This series references the tradition of commemorative wall plates and is a tribute to the value of water while the reflective surfaces implicate the viewer's role in the conversation of conservation. 

Photographic images printed with ceramic ink are composed and fired onto readymade porcelain plates. Genuine gold luster is applied and hand-painted onto the surfaces.

Not intended for food.

Dimensions: 12" diameter, .5" deep

22 Karat gold luster in a solid sheet measuring 9.75" x 13.5" ($0.45 per square inch).

This is easy to transfer and does not emit vapors when applying it, unlike liquid luster. Proper venting and safety practices must be in place when firing. This is food safe yet it is such a thin layer of soft metal, it will wear away over time with abrasion. Fire to cone 017. Store in a cool, dry place.

Priced competitively with vendors selling 11" x 17" sheets for $99.00 ($0.53 per square inch).

This hand-built vessel honors the force of nature and our collective experience of living through catastrophic weather events, specifically Hurricane Helene which devastated areas of North Carolina at the end of September/early October 2024. Responding to the devastation of the hurricane, Kala uses satellite data of the storm to draw abstracted surface designs directly derived from images of Hurricane Helene. To this end, she addresses the suffering and loss of the victims of the flood in hopes that these pieces can act as vessels for fossilizing the ephemeral, and make space for holding and healing.

Satellite images of Hurricane Helene were used to map out the surface decoration on this piece. The image was from Sept. 26, 2024, acquired by the GOES-16 satellite. (Credit: (CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

Fired in a gas kiln two times, the top temperature is cone 5/2200°F.

Materials: Reclaimed stoneware, glaze, porcelain slip.

15” x 13” x 13”

This hand-built vessel honors the force of nature and our collective experience of living through catastrophic weather events, specifically Hurricane Helene which devastated areas of North Carolina at the end of September/early October 2024. Responding to the devastation of the hurricane, Kala uses satellite data of the storm to draw abstracted surface designs directly derived from images of Hurricane Helene. To this end, she addresses the suffering and loss of the victims of the flood in hopes that these pieces can act as vessels for fossilizing the ephemeral, and make space for holding and healing.

Satellite images of Hurricane Helene were used to map out the surface decoration on this piece. The image was from Sept. 26, 2024, acquired by the GOES-16 satellite. (Credit: (CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

Fired in a gas kiln two times, the top temperature is cone 5/2200°F.

Materials: Reclaimed stoneware, glaze, porcelain slip.

15.75" h x 20.5" x 20.5"

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

22.75" x 14.25"

inventory # 1

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

22.75" x 14.25"

inventory # 3

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

20" x 11.5"

inventory # 4

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

22.75" x 14.25"

inventory # 9

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

11.5" x 11.5"

inventory # 11

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

5.75" x 8.5"

inventory # 15

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

5.75" x 8.5"

inventory # 17

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

5.75" x 8.5"

inventory # 18

This series of ceramic panels are created by collaborating with the winter rains- the handmade tiles are painted with a layer of opaque ceramic pigment and then held under the rain to wash away the pigments to create a spontaneous naturalistic surface effect. The result is a ghostly surface quality with a poetic mood. The tiles are then fired for the second time to permanently fix the moment into a ‘fossil record’ of the northern California rain.

Ferrous clay, ceramic pigments, rainwater. Ready to hang.

Fired two times in an electric kiln to a top temperature of cone 5/2200°F

5.75" x 8.5"

inventory # 19

This hand-built vessel honors the force of nature and our collective experience of living through catastrophic weather events, specifically Hurricane Helene which devastated areas of North Carolina at the end of September/early October 2024. Responding to the devastation of the hurricane, Kala uses satellite data of the storm to draw abstracted surface designs directly derived from images of Hurricane Helene. To this end, she addresses the suffering and loss of the victims of the flood in hopes that these pieces can act as vessels for fossilizing the ephemeral, and make space for holding and healing.

Satellite images of Hurricane Helene were used to map out the surface decoration on this piece. The image was from Sept. 26, 2024, acquired by the GOES-16 satellite. (Credit: (CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

Fired in a gas kiln two times, the top temperature is cone 5/2200°F.

Materials: Reclaimed stoneware, glaze, porcelain slip.

14.75" h x 21" x 18.5"

inventory #38

Handmade panels made of iron-rich clay, hand cut, custom batch poured glaze. This piece is reminiscent of clouds, maps, shorelines, weather patterns, and bodily silhouettes, honoring the beauty of the natural world.

Handmade panels made of iron-rich clay, hand cut, custom batch poured glaze. This piece is reminiscent of clouds, maps, shorelines, weather patterns, and bodily silhouettes, honoring the beauty of the natural world.

Handmade panels made of iron-rich clay, hand cut, custom batch poured glaze. This piece is reminiscent of clouds, maps, shorelines, weather patterns, and bodily silhouettes, honoring the beauty of the natural world.