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THE STORY
THE BRAND
Los Angeles Clay Company began in 2014 with a tableware commission for a non-handled cup from a restaurant in Los Angeles. These non-handled cups quickly became a sought-after memento for the bakery patrons and have since become one of the signature items in our product line.
Our brand focus is on creating durable tableware in forms that are utilitarian, classic, and functional. Our designs are intended to be used and reused for generations to come.
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Since every cup, bowl, and plate we make is handmade one at a time on the potter's wheel, each piece has its own unique subtle characteristics. Iron spots from the clay, color variations due to the outside weather or placement in the kiln, glaze drips from hand glazing, finger marks from throwing, and other irregularities record the connection between the maker and the ware.
MEET THE FOUNDER
During my first ever ceramics class, 30 years ago, I instantly connected with clay as a medium for expression and a tool for creation.
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I was instantly fascinated by the immediate responsiveness of clay and its ability to capture a moment in time.
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I first began working at the prolific Pasadena City College ceramic studio with Phil Cornelius in 1990 and then at the California State University, Long Beach ceramic studio with Tony Marsh in 2005. The working studio experiences at PCC and CSULB became the foundation of my understanding of how to manage everything that encompasses the phenomenal transformation process from raw material to finished pieces.
The Los Angeles cLAy Company was established to share my passion for simple, sensible designs, and to cultivate a brand that consumers can rely on.
- Ernie Lee
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