Rustic Birch Mug Sophia Clay Art

Sophia’s stunning Birch Mugs are truly one of a kind.  Each is individually wheel thrown. The hand applied texture on the outside is initially a bit textured to the touch, but over time softens to a velvety matte feel in the hand. The sturdy, generous handle and mug interior are finished in a chocolate coloured smooth glaze. 

Due to slip application and the position in the kiln, each mug will be unique. Some mugs will show more of a orange/brown tone than others and sizes will vary slightly. These differences are what give handmade products individuality and uniqueness. 

Microwave and dishwasher safe, though hand wash recommended.

14 oz mug, approx. 4 1/4″ tall, 3″ diameter

Growing up, Sophia Kim walked by a long row of birch trees on her way to school. “I was mesmerized by them. They seemed to talk to me” she recalls.

It comes as little surprise, then, that Kim’s line, called Rusty Birch Design, should so artfully evoke the bark of those trees. Etched and marked, washed in a matte white slip over rich-red clay, the vessels have the burnished texture of birch bark—contemporary designs that have a nature-focused, new-rustic feel.

Sophia says she didn’t set out to create designs based on bark; rather, they seem to have come to her instinctively. It was by chance in her foundation year at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design that she opted for a ceramics course—and was soon hooked. As she experimented with scratching clay with different surfaces, a friend pointed out that her textures were starting to look a lot like tree bark—something she herself hadn’t noticed. Now her Vancouver studio is filled with branches and bark samples as inspiration for her ceramics.

If the growing popularity of her work says anything, it’s that Sophia isn’t the only one who loves the look of trees.