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HANNA FASTRICH

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Hanna Fastrich is an interdisciplinary maker based in London. She studied architecture at the Architectural Association and continued her studies in applied arts (ceramics & glass) at the Royal College of Art. Since being educated and working in the field of architecture, she has been expanding her creative work through craftsmanship, namely ceramics, traditional Japanese woodworking and metal work in her studio.

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COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU FIRST FOUND YOUR WAY INTO DESIGN AND MAKING?

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I have always been drawn to working with my hands, and I was one of those crafty kids, always on the move, running around, digging in sand or dirt. I wanted to be an artist from a young age, but architecture seemed like a more sensible and stable career path to choose at the time - I am grateful for the period of time and am deeply shaped by the academic teachings and experience in different offices in my work today. However, getting to know myself better as I grew, I realised my brain doesn’t work creatively as well on a digital level; it’s a great tool for me to quickly test ideas in 3D models here and there, but I ultimately get all my substantial ideas and creative breakthroughs, when I’m either not working or in the middle of making, with my hands dirty. Unfulfilled and not physically engaged in my office job, I used every single free second to do woodworking and learning about different crafts auto-didactically, building objects. I coincidentally found ceramics that way and from the first moment it became a passion/obsession. 

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HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT BODY OF WORK?

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My work explores the boundary between object and space, and between artistic expression and function. I question how sculptural objects can be used and become spatial agents.

The conic vessels, made from stained Parian porcelain or stainless steel, function as cups, bowls, glasses or ashtrays and slot into bases. The Cone Object series extends this modular language into stools and side tables with conical inserts that can hold vessels or act as vessels themselves. I have also developed wall-based lighting that uses the translucent quality of Parian porcelain to create ambient light sculptures.

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WHAT SPARKED THIS BODY OF WORK?

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It began with a desire to reactivate touch. In fine art contexts, touch has largely been eliminated, and I wanted to encourage physical interaction and even play. The work aims to support gathering through and around objects.

At the same time, much develops intuitively, shaped by processes I enjoy and forms that feel balanced.

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HOW HAS YOUR ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND SHAPED YOUR APPROACH?

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For me, it is the same thinking at different scales. Studying at the Architectural Association taught me to understand space as experience. Through auto-ethnographic studies, I learned to observe how spaces shape emotion and how interventions can shift that feeling.

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HOW DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE LIVE WITH YOUR WORK?

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I hope the objects are touched, sat on, drunk from, scratched, mended and allowed to develop patina. I am interested in whether they stand the test of time and
value dialogue with owners.

A key reference for me is Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi, and the idea of finding artistic value in use.

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WHAT ROLE DO MATERIALS PLAY?

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I choose materials based on the joy of working with them, which is why I focus on clay and metal. Ceramics presents challenges at furniture scale, but I enjoy that tension. Clay feels instinctive to me, and combining it with metal allows for larger structures while embracing the contrast between fragility and strength.

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WHERE DOES INTUITION SIT IN YOUR PROCESS?

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Throughout. I rarely begin with more than a rough sketch or mental image and problem solve as I go. Experience gradually informs larger scale decisions.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR INFLUENCES?

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J.B. Blunk’s use of wood, especially his seating, has been influential. The Monobloc chair, originally made by D.C. Simpson and later developed by Henry Massonnet, interests me as a universal gathering tool that simply works.

I am broadly influenced by things that encourage gathering, from food and bowls to courtyards, woven baskets and public spaces by artists and designers such as Barragán, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Topotek and Isamu Noguchi. I also document natural textures, sometimes finding echoes of my work in them, sometimes recreating them.

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WHAT VALUES ARE EMBEDDED IN YOUR WORK?

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I hope the objects carry appreciation for craft and intentional, slow output. Ceramics is inherently slow, and I value that inefficiency. I hope there is mutual respect for the energy, effort and trial and error behind each piece.

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WHAT DOES A GOOD DAY IN THE STUDIO LOOK LIKE?

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A warm studio, a kiln radiating heat and the anticipation of opening it later. Working on several pieces at once, immersed in a flow state, listening to a carefully built playlist. No admin, no glazing.

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WHAT’S NEXT?

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Revisiting early work made in Germany before the Royal College of Art has felt like a full circle moment, reconnecting with lost shapes and textures while recognising how my skills have evolved. I am developing this alongside recent lighting explorations.

I am also part of Collectible Fair in Brussels this March and working towards making more work for public space long term. Learning to forage wild clay is high on my list for 2026.

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