Colja de Roo - Ceramics

Hand-built ceramics

About me

I have been working with clay since 1984 and from 1996 in my own studio. In 1999 I established myself as a visual artist / ceramist under the name Colja de Roo - Ceramics. I am mainly self-taught. I have followed various courses, including a glaze course at VAK Delft, and various firing techniques workshops.


I have been active for a few years at the Stichting Kunstdoelen Delft, which operated its own gallery and still organizes the annual open studio route in Delft. I also supervised students at Kerade (VAK Delft). In recent years I have been giving various workshops in my own studio.


Together with mosaic artist Nan Deardorff-McClain I worked on the creation of the Keramieken Kaart van Delft, an 18 square meter wall mosaic in the style of a 17th century map of Delft.


My work

My work is hand-built and is processed, glazed and fired in various ways. I make masks / faces, spatial and flat, and wall objects. I work a lot with reliefs in my work. I carve or cut into the clay or, for example, apply relief with stamps. I then accentuate this with oxides and glazes.


The work is fired in the electric kiln or the raku kiln. Because of the raku firing the work gets its characteristic crackle. I also use the naked raku or copper mat glaze technique when firing raku. The hanging works of art often consists of several parts, which are later assembled or the parts hung next to each other so that it forms a whole.


I sell my work through galleries and art stores and directly at ceramics markets and art fairs at home and abroad.