My name is Madeleine Vink and I am a full-time professional potter. Since 2004 my studio is in the former stable of an ancient farmhouse in the Netherlands. In the 90’s I attended the three-year craftsmanship education program for potter in Gouda, the Netherlands. After this program I attended pottery courses of several potters; in the Provence in France but also master pottery classes in the Netherlands. In 2008-2009 I worked as a part-time potter at Mobach ceramics in Utrecht and in 2017-2018 at Heinen Delftware. My company name is Madeleine Vink Ceramics and I sign all my work with my last name: Vink.
I like to produce country dinnerware and other utensils but most of all I love throwing large pots. My products show that the clay has been in motion and that makes every cup, plate, bowl or vase unique. I call that ‘stilled movement’. My philosophy is that – though every product can be seen as a piece of art – in the end it is an utensil and I love it when my products are used in the kitchen or end up with flowers in it.
LOVE WHAT YOU DO. DO WHAT YOU LOVE
I am so grateful for my job and I believe I have the most awesome profession one can have. From childhood on I wanted to become a potter and I am happy I followed my dream. I work with the four elements of life. The clay is the earth, the base of all my products. Then there is the water. You cannot throw without water. It has to be ‘slippery’. When the product is thrown it has to dry by the air/wind. Finally there is the fire; the kiln in which the products are baked. And then I am not even mentioning the glazes, that contain metals, that are extracted in nature, and cause the beautiful colors and luster.
Feel free to contact me and share your thoughts!
Madeleine Vink
