As cannabis legalization continues to be championed and acted into law across North America, a batch of ceramic artists are using their craft to fashion novel accessories to suit every style. Here are five names that show the aesthetically pleasing points of going to pot.
Based in Kansas City, Riley Brain’s brand is known for charming tabletop pieces accented with gold. Brain began her artisanal journey after taking trips to Portugal and Oregon a few years ago. “In the summer of 2016, I took two influential trips,” she says. “In Lisbon, I grew so enamoured with the intricate mosaics and tile work around the city. Everywhere you look is so beautiful. I already loved creating art as a hobby, so I felt drawn to giving ceramics a try. The next month, I spent about a week in Portland. Oregon had fully legalized relatively recently, and it was the first state I had ever been to with completely legal cannabis. I fell in love with the vibe and openness of Portland. There were dispensaries, yoga studios, and vegan food everywhere. All my faves. I wanted to help bring a little slice of that culture to my home state of Missouri.”
Brain began experimenting and started to hone in on her aesthetic – one that marries simplicity with personality. “It’s been such an evolution,” she says about her work. “Since I am self-taught, I feel like I’ve grown my pieces around whatever class I’m taking or technique I’m working on at the time.”
In addition to watching her business flourish, Brain is starting to see hope for legalized cannabis grow around her. “Missouri just voted for medicinal legalization in November. Legal cannabis passed by the widest margin of anything else on the ballot. It made me so proud of my state! Growing up in Missouri and Kansas, I can say that feeling proud (politically) of my state doesn’t happen often. So I’m savouring that.”
