Dina kaiser
: We are not on the earth, we are of the earth :
February’s artists Discussion with Ceramicist Dina Kaiser from :of the earth:
Dina, thank you so much for being in this space & for us to be able to have this discussion, i am beyond grateful.
I would firstly love for you to share with us a little bit about your work & what has led you to do what you do.
I’m Dina Kaiser and I’m a ceramic artist. i work alongside my husband, Conrad, creating pottery for our brand Of The Earth. Our work is a co-creation with the earth, we are not on the earth, we are of the earth - this idea is the inspiration for our name. Our work is inspired by the ancient world and is rooted in the beauty of imperfection. All of my work is hand built as I am drawn to the slow process of hand building and the organic end result of it.
I think one of the biggest things that has led me to do what I do is the desire to live differently. To live slowly and intentionally and to move through each day freely. I have also been pulled to get to know and understand the earth better and working with clay has been one way to deepen that connection. Conrad has also led me to do what I do, he inspires me to live life how I want to and go after my dreams.
I love how in tune with the earth you are & everything you have said is portrayed through your work beautifully.
You mentioned about living life at a slower pace, i would love to ask what you do to find peace & stillness & keep a calm mind throughout your day?
Beginning my day slowly is a way that I invite peace into my day. My slow mornings are sacred to me, they may not guarantee that I will be at peace throughout the entire day, but they greatly increase the possibility of it. Getting my body moving in the morning is another way I bring calmness into my day, I believe movement can be medicine. I find movement gives me energy which allows me to move through the day with greater ease. Pottery is another great source of peace for me, there is something so soothing about the process of it, it calls me to slowness. Working with clay is so grounding which encourages peace. For me, pottery is a practice that creates space to sort through my emotions and thoughts, this brings a sense of inner peace into my day.
I completely feel you & agree. It's so special to be able to find peace through creating art and finding practices which encourage you to be present in this moment, with your mind & body.
I see through your platform that another practice of yours is taking time to sit with tea. Would you be willing to share your experiences with this ritual?
For me tea is a ritual of slowness. The practice of tea is an art to me, each element of the process intentionally chosen, from the vessels I use to the tea itself. I appreciate the beauty in the ritual, I believe this can be healing. For me, healing is what the practice of tea is about, its ability to heal both my mind and body. I consciously choose each of the plants for my teas and elixirs based on the benefits that come from each plant. This piece of the practice is what is closest to my heart, I deeply believe that if we allow them to, plants can be deeply healing. The practice of tea is a practice that allows me to grow my connection with the earth. I believe in some ways this practice has not only grown my connection with the earth, but also with myself.
It's such a beautiful insight into your practice & thank you for sharing this. Having a life filled with rituals & practices which helps to deeper connect our mind and body to the earth & help us to slow down & appreciate the present moment is what I feel life is all about.
You mentioned that each element of your tea practice is intentionally chosen - how do you go about choosing the pieces you use & do you use your own ceramic creations in your practice to help you connect to the earth?
I choose each element based on what it will bring to the practice. I may light incense that has an earthy and grounding scent or I may light incense that is energy clearing. It will depend on what I am drawn to at the moment. Many of the elements I bring into the practice are earthy and organic - like my ceramic tea bowls. I do bring in earthy elements to connect to the earth, I also often bring them in for their grounding and calming effect.
It's such a beautiful, slow process, to carefully choose each element to be used, it makes us more aware of what we are bringing into our lives. The items we use in our daily rituals are precious & I feel should be chosen with love & cared for over a lifetime. Pieces to invest in, creating lovingly & which tells a story.
I was drawn to your ceramics because of how simple your forms are, they speak for themselves. Your whole process of slowly hand building each pieces makes them feel so full of love & gives off a calm, grounding energy.
I wanted to just say thank you so much for being here Dina, I have loved discovering more about your art & your rituals which help to bring more peace into your life. It is so lovely that you have shared this with us!
Yes I agree it does make us more aware of what we are bringing into our lives. I think it’s beautiful when we can slow down and have this level of awareness that allows us to intentionally choose what we want to bring into our lives.
It’s so sweet to hear your perspective of my work, thank-you!
I’ve also loved getting to chat with you!
You can purchase Dina & Conrads ceramics at oftheearth.art
Or take a look at Dinas beautiful images though her instagam instagram.com/dina.kaiser
Photographed above. Dina & her husband Conrad’s creations for their brand Of The Earth.
All photographs used are beautifully captured by Dina & Conrad.