Some paths to ceramics are straight. Others wind through years of different work before arriving at clay. Emanuel Espeso didn’t arrive in a straight line.

Growing up in Argentina, he discovered early that making things with his hands was how he understood the world. After years in graphic design, the pull toward something physical, something you could hold, became too strong to ignore. It’s a feeling that resonates with many makers here, the quiet pull away from screens and toward something real.

Today he works primarily with the coil-building technique — slow, patient, unhurried. His inspiration comes from stones, wood, open landscapes, and the restrained beauty of Japanese and Nordic minimalism. Calm, organic forms. Subtle irregularities. Small signs that a human hand was present throughout.

See Emanuel’s work in our studio window at Schiffbaustrasse 9a throughout March, and follow his practice on Instagram at @emanuelmakespottery.