ONKA ALLMAYER-BECK 

Onka Allmayer-Beck, born in Vienna in 1979, studied fashion design at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College in London before working as a fashion designer for Carol Christian Poell and Giorgio Armani among others. Since 2015, Allmayer-Beck has been a freelance illustrator and artist, working primarily with ceramics. An Italian master ceramist taught Allmayer-Beck the basics of pottery, followed by the studies of the construction technique in Russia. At the center of Allmayer-Beck's work are vessels in the broadest sense, which often combine several functions, for example as vases, bowls and candlesticks. In their unique grace, however, they are never just everyday objects but above all also a piece of art. Their structure often includes a sometimes rounded, sometimes angular main part and legs, as well as tubes, funnels, or handles that create a lively impression, reminiscent of cheerful, botanical creatures. At the same time, the glazes in neon yellow, old pink, pigeon blue, orange or rust red, create a colorful, shiny look similar to freshly painted nails. The cheerful façade and the supposed lightness of her form is the result of both technically highly demanding work and various hardening processes and firing procedures. Allmayer-Beck finds inspiration for her designs by vague ideas in everyday life as well as in the process of creating the vessels. Last but not least the material, the clay itself, also plays a creative role. Through roughened areas under the smooth surface, the artist experiments with haptic contrasts and gives her creatures additional character. In this way, the imperfect and instinctive in Allmayer-Beck's work strikes a collective nerve within the age of industrially flawlessly manufactured, often soulless objects. Instead, her designs seem as from another world. Allmayer-Beck's works have a strong recognition value and are meanwhile appreciated by international customers, art collectors and interior designers.