DEEP BLACK



DEEP BLACK

About The Artist

Sherród Faulks • Portsmouth, VA
Ceramics • WHOLESALE AVAILABLE • CUSTOM COMMISSIONS

Hi, I'm Sherród! I create beautiful things that help you cultivate moments of joy, connection, and love. DEEP BLACK is a modern minimal housewares brand where functionality and intention are at the heart of every handmade piece. Here, beauty reigns supreme. I use multiple techniques to create the work of my dreams — wheel-throwing, slip-casting, and jiggering — and all of my glazes are durable, food-safe, and custom-formulated.



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Q&A with the Artist

Tell us how your work is made.

I employ three main ceramic techniques: wheel-throwing, slip-casting, and jiggering. I am an experienced wheel thrower, and even teach my techniques in classes here in Hampton Roads. Larger forms such as our two-part Planter and bespoke work is typically wheel-thrown. I use slipcasting for smaller complex forms that require multiples. The majority of my work is made using the Jigger & Jolly, a simple machine that uses molds to create pieces that are dense, durable, and uniform. However, because the entire process is manual, the hand of the maker is not lost. Furthermore, my design style is rooted in wabi-sabi. Each and every piece is "imperfect" in some way that tells the story of its creation. All of my glazes are durable and food safe, custom-formulated by me.


What makes you passionate about the medium you work with?

Ceramics is a discipline as old as human history. And the process has remained largely unchanged until the last 150 years. But even today, in my home studio in Virginia, the process would be understandable to someone who lived 100, 500, or even 1000 years ago. At its heart, ceramics is elemental. We manipulate earth itself, using water mindfully, which dries in carefully maintained humidity levels, to then be permanently converted to ceramic in the intense heat of the kiln. Who wouldn't be passionate about this elemental, alchemical, transformative craft?

What is something unique about you or your practice?

First of all, that each glaze really looks like it does in photos - my colors are vibrant! People are always shocked to discover that my work is really and truly handmade. At a distance or all together, my pieces read like ceramics you'd get from a high-end home decor store. But once you pick up and really look at my ceramics, you notice all kinds of details that could only be created by an artisan.