Collection: Kimba Allison Ceramics

Kimba is a midwife come ceramicist, working from her home studio in Pirongia, in the Waikato.

Kimba used to work with native wood but once she discovered clay, it completely took over her life in a great way. She thinks initially clay required the perfect amount of concentration to block out any stress from her midwifery life and just focus on the moment. Now it takes up most of her moments!

Kimba strives to create pieces that not only function well but also have an aesthetic appeal that speaks to the holder. Each piece - although tied to a collection - is always unique and carries a story, reflecting the subtle imperfections and variations that make handmade ceramics so special.

Kimba is a bit of a sponge for learning new things so as a result in her work is always evolving and changing.

Nerikomi is a Japanese term used to describe a unique ceramic process that involves layering and mixing different coloured clays to create intricate patterns and designs which you can find in Kimbas work. The finished product of the time consuming nerikomi process is always a surprise, a one-of-a-kind pattern. This method requires a great deal of patience, but Kimba enjoys the challenge and feel the results are well worth the effort.

Kimba's mosaic coloured work such as the large Ring bowl and woven pieces involve staining clay and creating thin flakes in many colours, these can then be scattered and imprinted onto a slab. It’s impossible to ever achieve the same pattern twice, making this a very enjoyable method for Kimba as she loves to run with it and throw herself into the process.