q: Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

a: i was born and raised in new york. i grew up in crown heights and prospect lefferts gardens. 


q: what were you like as a child?

a: bouncing off the walls.


q: japan plays an important role in your work. what draws you to it?

a: the attention to detail: not specifically to japan, but the craft-focused regions that i’ve visited.

q: what’s your favorite city in japan?

a: mashiko, due to its ties to the mingei movement, which has a focus on craft that i deeply resonate with.


q: what got you into ceramics?

a: there was a kick wheel in my high school art class. it was a place where i could hyperfocus with no distractions - a dream for a child with adhd.


q: what is your creative process like? how has this developed over years?

a: ceramics books, lots of field research - visiting different craftspeoples’ studios and workshops. then making rough sketches. and the rest comes while throwing on the wheel.

q: your grandfather was also a ceramic designer. do you see any of him in your own work?

a: we’re in very different parts of the ceramics universe, as he worked more on mass produced works. but it’s always been so nice to bounce ideas off each other, and learn from each other. him and my grandmother on my dads side have such an interesting perspective of the industry, mainly working in medium batch production with small factories in the midwest when they were designing ceramics. 

q: tell me about your homeware/ workware? what got you into both practices?

a: i studied ceramic design at central st martins, a well-known fashion school in london. i had always hoped to work with the fashion students, but never quite got the chance! but after my homeware capsule collection with adidas i had the chance to visit tokyo for the first time, where i had to meet gene michael oe for the first time, who is now my collaborator in the workware. the goal with studio halftime is to put out limited runs of work wear that follows similar colors, textures and silhouettes to that same homeware collection. clothing that’s meant to be worked in and worn out.

q: what does your world look like 5 years from now?

a: a strong visual language across the homeware and workware. a studio that’s big enough for pots of any size to experiment in personal practice.

q: is there a material or medium you haven't worked with yet and would like to explore?

a: i’ve dabbled with welding and woodworking while playing soccer at kenyon college, and i’m looking forward to revisiting these mediums in the new year. as well as maybe concrete. i see these materials as supporting the ceramics.

q: what’s the most unexpected thing that’s inspired a piece of your work?

a: the agility that comes on a soccer field.

q: soccer and ceramics are an interesting pairing. what drew you to pairing them together?

a: it was more about finding a niche while i was working in london. as you can imagine, making a living in ceramics in london or new york is not exactly easy, and the pairing is a perfect combination of my two worlds. being a goalkeeper is an important part of my life and through that my focus in building a visual language is more on the moments of pause, or ‘halftime’, that i feel resonate with everyday life rituals.

q: do you have any morning rituals?

a: i pick a teapot from my collection and make a tea or coffee. i usually then go for a run or some sort of workout.

q: what’s the first thing you do when you walk into the studio?

a: i put on my coveralls or check the kiln if i can’t wait.

q: what's the last thing you bought purely because you loved its design?

a: i’m programmed to think of functionality first. around the countryside in japan there are endless crossovers with design and so i had multiple field days adding to my personal collection of ceramics. i like keeping them on display in my studio, something i picked up from yamada yoji, in shigaraki.

q: do you have a favorite piece you’ve created?

a: i’ve given them all to my ex-girlfriends.

q: what's the best gift you've ever received?

a: a bernard leach cup from my mom.

q: what's your relationship with jewelry? is there a piece you wear every day?

a: i wear my late grandfather’s sterling silver navy signet ring everyday, even when i’m throwing.