Amanda Harkness (AH): What inspired you to take up making ceramics?

Tony Sly (TS): I was at Waikato University at Teachers’ Training College and one evening I went to a pottery night class. As soon as I touched the clay on the wheel it was love. I quickly realized that I’d need more than a night class and was lucky to secure an internship with Elizabeth Woodfield in her Hamilton studio. My family was horrified when I dropped out of university but I’ve never looked back.

Actually, when I think about growing up in Te Kuiti, I was always a maker. My hands were always busy with crafts. The mess used to drive my mother, Margaret, mad.

AH: What drew you to Raglan?

TS: When my Hamilton lease expired, I thought, “Raglan is so close… why am I not living and working at the beach?” That was 20 years ago, and I haven’t regretted it for a second.

AH: Tell us how that coastal environment impacts your work?

TS: I make my pottery in ‘ranges’ so when I opened the Raglan Wharf studio I wanted to lighten the colour palette and introduce a series of watery, translucent blue and white glazes. I’m constantly struck by the shifting light on the harbour and the shadows that fall so beautifully across the hills, and I’ve become aware that it’s very much the same with the pottery. It’s the way light falls across their shapes and surfaces and the way that it enters the translucent glaze that helps create the magic.

AH: Why the decision to open in Auckland?

TS: Opening in Newmarket felt like a natural progression after the success of Raglan Wharf. Lots of our customers live in Auckland and the Teed Street store allows us to present our brand in a more polished way. At the same time, though, we wanted to retain the rustic, warm, artisanal aesthetic that Tony Sly Pottery (TSP) is known for. We’re loving showing our work in such a high-calibre, retail neighbourhood. Our offering is unique but our flash colleagues keep us on our toes!

AH: What fellow creatives do you admire and why?

TS: My interests are around architecture, design, gardening and food, so there are so many creatives to admire. Ilse Crawford’s notion that good design is ‘a frame for life’ is the same way I feel about my platters and pots. They’re a beautiful support for other people’s creativity by being the background for the serving and sharing of food. I love Axel Vervoordt’s work too. His interiors reveal the resonance between ancient and modern objects and they chime with my own ideas about there being beauty in imperfection. One of the nicest compliments I’ve had was from a customer who said that, at first, he was unsure whether my pottery was old or new. (Thanks, Donald.)

AH: Where to from here, in terms of product range and positioning?

TS: After more than 30 years of making, I’m comfortable now to let my pottery ranges evolve naturally. One thing leads on to the next… and the next. Having said that, the process of editing and refining shapes and colours is constant. I’m always thinking and it never stops. I’ve recently started taking on restaurant commissions and am enjoying working with owners and chefs. The development of our online store is another aspect of the business that my team and I are putting energy into.

Also, now that the stores are both established, I can show unique one-of-a-kind pottery pieces alongside our collectable ranges. All the TSP pottery ranges and homewares are available online but to view the one-off pieces you have to come and see us!

Learn more about Tony’s work and shop online at tonyslypottery.com.