Wheel-thrown porcelain ceramics with crystalline glazes, often with mineral decorations

Night Sky Vase, porcelain with crystalline glaze pattern, 10″ high, $150

One of a Kind Urn, porcelain with crystalline glaze pattern, 10″ high, Code RESC5, $320

About the Artist

Each vessel is individually wheel-thrown, sculpted, signed, and numbered by the artist. To form the crystals, zinc “seeds” are first applied to the piece, and colored glazes sprayed over. After firing to a temperature of 2380º, the kiln is cooled to 2000º and the pieces “soak” for 2 – 6 hours to allow the crystals to grow. An extremely liquid medium is required to grow the crystals. A catcher ring must therefore be attached to the bottom of the pot to catch the running glaze, and removed after firing with a blowtorch. In the final step, the bottom of the piece is ground smooth. Since the size, shape, and position of the crystals is not fully predictable, each piece is completely unique.

The natural world inspires Shaja so she was fascinated to discover crystalline glazes, in which a process normally occurring deep in the earth can be coaxed to take place in a kiln. The striking quality of the crystals demands the simple, elegant forms she creates to set them off. The crystals seem to float in their pool of glaze, creating a fourth dimension on the three dimensional surface of the clay.

She uses mineral oxides to create her colors, and these also affect the formation of the crystals. The unpredictable variations in placement and size of the crystals make each kiln opening an occasion for anticipation and wonder, like a child opening a gift. 

Shaja’s name is actually Sharon Jackson. Born in London, England, she jokes that she has been moving west her whole life. She works in her home workshop in southern California, where she lives with her husband Daniel and beloved Jack Russell terrier, Billy.