Making a house feel like home requires more than just the right furniture — it comes to life in the details. From art and lighting to dinnerware and decor, handpicked items do more than just reflect your style, they tell your story. Lifelong ceramist Olivia Barry merges her artistic practice with her industrial design experience to create inventive works that elevate these important details in any space. Based in New York, Barry’s career has taken her from apprenticing with world renowned artists to collaborating with global brands, which culminated in opening her Hudson Valley studio, Olivia Barry / By Hand to create her signature artwork and lighting designs. Here, she takes us inside her creative world, detailing everything from her creative process and inspiration to bringing her designs to the Midwest.
Photography by John Muggenborg
How would you describe your creative style?
Serene and friendly. Overall I favor simplicity, even though my pieces are complex in construction. After spending a few decades in the design industry, I am finally enjoying the confidence that has come with following my own creative path
What sparked your interest in lighting and industrial design?
As a kid, I was in my local pottery studio as often as possible, making heavy bottomed mugs and bowls and really learning the language of clay. I went on to study industrial design in college, continuing the ceramic craft and concerning myself with its capabilities, from sculpture to mass manufacture. Later in New York, I had some opportunities to make large scale wheel-thrown lamp bases for Robert A.M. Stern Architects. I loved building the pieces, but sourcing lampshades felt off — like putting a hat on a sculpture. I pondered the idea of making a lamp that did not need a traditional shade. What would that look like? My solution was to design a lamp with a basic body design that could also act as the shade. That became the first Scroll design, and my shapes since have been variations on the same theme of hiding the bulb while projecting light.
You’ve worked with some impactful artists like Eva Zeisel, how did those experiences influence your practice?
I met Eva when she was in her 90s after she developed her design language over a lifetime of practice. She was eager to keep working, but she needed some support. Together, we made beautiful pieces for Nambé, Royal Stafford, Crate & Barrel, The Rug Company, MoMA and more.
She was known for using very voluptuous curves, and we would sit in her living room and draw for hours with big pen strokes on large sketchpads. She wrote, “We follow lines with our eyes as we follow the sound of a violin with our hearts,” and would sometimes illustrate the shapes in the air like a conductor. From Eva, I learned that curves have character and can tell certain stories too. A curve can be lightweight or it can convey heaviness. Shapes have personality — I try to make my shapes welcoming and to feel open-hearted.
Can you take us inside your creative process?
As the sole proprietor to my business, I get to wear all the hats — from engineering to artistry. At the start of the day, my mind is in full production mode. Monday to Friday is busy. On weekends, I carve out creative time when it’s easier to play with new ideas and constructions without the structure of the work day.
I bring my sketchbook wherever I go, working out a shape on paper over and over, making changes here and there to see where it can go. Taking the design from sketchpad to paper forms is next, and some never make it off the page. There are a lot of physical challenges to work out and complex connections to resolve.
Paper mockups are made quickly, although I’m eager to take them into clay as the material presents different challenges. Once I’ve made a few trials, I fire them in the kiln. When I’m happy with the results, I start resolving the lighting parts. Some of my metal parts are custom-made so that they fit the proportions and don’t overshadow the ceramic sculpture of the piece.
What are your biggest sources of inspiration?
Curiosity, simplicity, leaves, light and curves.
What’s next for Olivia Barry / By Hand?
The next few months will be busy in the studio, continuing work on current and new projects with interior designers and developing a modular chandelier version of my new pendant called Slim. I’ll do a little summer travel, as well, finding showroom opportunities in the Midwest so more people can see my lighting and artwork in person.
Feature image photography by Alen MacWeeney.
