Meet Melisa Dora | Ceramicist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melisa Dora and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melisa, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always had a passion for art and design but I never thought I would have a career in it. From the ages 5-15 I was a national artistic gymnast. Sadly, my career as a gymnast ended prematurely due to a severe knee injury during one of my training sessions.

I grew up in a creative household. Whether it was learning from my dad building many objects from scratch in his garage to admiring the beautiful and delicious meals my mum and dad would make from their Turkish and Swiss nationalities which were presented on many different types of tableware pieces. After my knee injury I decided to follow my passion with art and design and studied a Foundation Art course in Camberwell college of Art in London. After this I studied Wood, Metal, Plastics and Ceramics at Brighton University and graduated in 2010. My admiration and passion for clay started here.

I love the tactile quality of clay and how expressive it can be. I didn’t want to stop working with this material after university as it bought be so much joy. I feel calm working with clay and the techniques to learn are never ending so each year I feel I am progressing. I love creating tableware pieces that can be enjoyed at home, in restaurants, coffee shops etc. Having my own studio also meant I could give something back to the community through teaching a variety of classes.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been working with clay for 16 years now. Running my own pottery business was not easy at the beginning, meaning that for many years I worked very long hours in various part-time and occasionally full-time jobs to help fund my studio and rent. This hard work eventually paid off as I finally got the keys to my own space in 2016. Before this, I shared a small studio in South East London and I also had a very small space in my parents garage which was very cold!. I have always been driven and determined to succeed. This has been embedded in me from an early age being a gymnast for many years. The discipline in this sport has helped me massively with my business.

My tableware is all handthrown in simple forms mixed with an endless amount of colour. I have many glazes I use throughout my work which I really feel connects with my customers. Colour is my passion and I feel my work can connect with many interior settings and lifestyles. I am really proud to see my work in restaurants and coffee shops in London, Edinburgh and Dublin.

My proudest achievement so far is writing my own book which will be published in America 27th November 2022 and January 2023 in the UK. It is called ‘Lessons with clay’.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
London is very diverse and there are endless places to eat, drink etc! I love food! I am very lucky that my partner used to be a chef so most meals are at home 🙂 If I was to go out, there are so many amazing restaurants in south east London such as Peckham and east dulwich but soho and china town have amazing restaurants too. There are too many to mention! I also love going to restaurants that support handmade tableware such as Pophams in east London. They have a beautiful bakery and pasta restaurant. I may be biased here as I make work for this coffee shop but Rosslyn Coffee shop is the place to go in London for incredible coffee and service. Can’t recommend enough. I love all the beautiful parks in London too. Near me are Beckenham Place park, Greenwich park and Crystal Palace park. There are also so many theatres in central London! East London has great markets such as antiques, clothing and street food which i enjoy going to as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly , thank you Megan Collins for making this interview possible.

My family and my partner have been so supportive throughout my career, even if it was a little daunting at the beginning. Thank you to my tutors at University who introduced me to working with clay especially Louisa Taylor. I shared a very small studio in London after I completed my degree which was run by a remarkable man called Roland Austin who I also want to thank for his generosity and support.

In terms of books, the master of glazes and tableware Linda Bloomfield and Louisa Taylor have really inspired my work and my use of colour in glazes.

Website: www.melisadora.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melisadoraceramics

Image Credits
Alexander Edwards: https://www.alexanderjedwards.co.uk/ Andy Smith: https://www.andysmithphoto.com/ Lucy Richards: https://www.lucyrichardsphotography.com/