Interview with Edyta Cieloch|PdD

Edyta Cieloch creates exceptional porcelain objects that have gained recognition all over the world. Her works are part of the permanent collections of prestigious museums and the Ćmielów Design Studio she co-founded has brought a modern look to Polish porcelain. In her work, Cieloch constantly explores the delicacy and durability of porcelain, creating pieces that delight with both aesthetics and functionality.

Edyta Cieloch - studied design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, specializing in ceramic design. Since 2007, together with Marek Cecuła and Modus Design, she has been creating utilitarian and decorative porcelain objects. Her works have been included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Art & Design in New York and the KOCEF Ceramic Foundation in South Korea. Since 2013, also together with Marek Cecuła, she has been designing for Ćmielów Design Studio, a contemporary brand of Ćmielów porcelain. In 2023, she won the Tableware International Awards of Excellence in the Coffee/Teaware category for her BAU solo tea set.

BAU solo

Photo: Sebastian Zimmer © Modus Design

Katarzyna Szostak: What is special about porcelain?

Edyta Cieloch: I think the uniqueness of porcelain is perfectly captured by oxymorons that combine seemingly contradictory qualities. Delicate endurance. Subtle strength. Fragile durability. Exclusive everydayness. Porcelain is delicate yet durable. It appears fragile, but is extremely hardy and resistant to damage, heat, chemicals or the passage of time. Porcelain combines beauty and nobility with utility. The craftsmanship of making unique objects, works of art and luxury products with the mass production of practical table and sanitary objects for everyday use. It is also used in the technical and laboratory industries. Porcelain is unique and its versatility allows it to be used in many contexts.

Klocki

Photo: Sebastian Zimmer © Modus Design

Katarzyna: Dishes are an integral part of gatherings with family and friends, as well as special
celebrations. When creating your pieces, do you think about who they will accompany and at what moments?

Edyta: When creating my works, I always imagine for whom I am making them and in what context they will be used. Instead of designing large table sets, I am more passionate about creating interior accessories and products that can be gifts. I want my designs to be visually appealing, so that even when they are not used in their original function, as a vase or teapot, they can be small sculptures and decorative elements of the interior. My goal is for them to add unique character and expression to the surrounding space, to enrich it. To demonstrate a caring relationship and bring satisfaction to those who receive them.

Constantin vases

Photo: Olga Grabiwoda © Modus Design

Katarzyna: How do you come up with forms during the creative process?

Edyta: Observation of architecture, art and the surrounding world, people, nature and everyday life is an important element in the design process for me. It is through observation that the search for form comes naturally and intuitively. Inspiration can come by chance. Sometimes ideas are born in my mind for no apparent reason or even appear in a dream. When I think about some idea all the time, I make sketches. If it still seems interesting after some time, I give it shape through modeling, which I do by hand in plaster or by computer in 3D.

Spanish Lace

Photo: Sebastian Zimmer © Modus Design

Katarzyna: Ćmielów is an iconic Polish brand. How to design under such a name without loosing your own voice while also becoming part of its history?

Edyta: Yes, Ćmielów has an extremely rich history dating back over 230 years. My cooperation with the factory began 11 years ago, when a new brand of contemporary Ćmielów porcelain was created — Ćmielów Design Studio. This initiative resulted from the cooperation of Polskie Fabryki Porcelany „Ćmielów” and „Chodzież” S.A. with a renowned artist and designer, Marek Cecuła. As artistic director of the Ćmielów Design Studio, Marek Cecuła creates and directs the process of creating designs, thus continuing the heritage and tradition of the Ćmielów brand. I have been working with Marek Cecuła for 17 years. As a result, I was naturally involved in the creation of the new Ćmielów brand from the very beginning of its existence. It is a great honor for me and I am very grateful for the opportunity to co-create this brand and to be a part of its history, to continue the heritage and prestige of the Ćmielów brand without losing my own personality.

BAU solo

Katarzyna: Your works address important topics. For example, you have created a collection of „personal mugs,” whose theme is diversity. How do you translate social issues into applied art?

Edyta: Kubki osobiste — respect for diversity — is a 2013 project. The porcelain mugs, made of classic white porcelain with various symbols applied onto them, are carriers of content illustrating the idea: everyone is different — something different for everyone. Diversity is a strength that allows us to grow and open up to new perspectives and points of view. Every meeting and conversation with representatives of different cultures, races, religions or sexual orientations contributes to our personal growth and to going beyond our own beliefs. Diversity is not a problem.