Search Results

COLLECTABLE SCULPTURAL PIECES MADE FOR EVERYDAY RITUALS

​ OFFERING Collection White gypsum and wood locally sourced in the Bay Area. ​ Handmade in San Francisco

email studio@w hite dirtstudio.com ig @whitedirtstudio sign up for our newsletter enter email here subscribe thank you for subscribing!

ATRIO is the second White Dirt collection, consisting of three different porcelain vases. Adopting the design language of the first WHITE DIRT collection, each piece in this new collection translates plaster to porcelain on a larger scale. TEAR SHEET SLIP-CAST PORCELAIN MATTE EXTERIOR GLAZED INTERIOR FOOD SAFE LIMITED EDITION OF 20 MADE IN SAN FRANCISCO ​ INQUIRE ATRIO I ATRIO II ATRIO III

The Italian word terra translates to earth, land, ground, soil, dirt, clay—the material from which the newest collection is hand fabricated. ​ The TERRA collection consists of three different slip-cast vessels highlighting the subtle variations of warm-toned pigmented stoneware. ​ TEAR SHEET SLIP-CAST STONEWARE MATTE EXTERIOR GLAZED INTERIOR FOOD SAFE LIMITED EDITION OF 10 MADE IN SAN FRANCISCO ​ INQUIRE TERRA II TERRA III TERRA VI

ATRIO is the second White Dirt collection, consisting of three different porcelain vases. Adopting the design language of the first WHITE DIRT collection, each piece in this new collection translates plaster to porcelain on a larger scale. TEAR SHEET SLIP-CAST PORCELAIN MATTE EXTERIOR GLAZED INTERIOR FOOD SAFE LIMITED EDITION OF 20 MADE IN SAN FRANCISCO ​ PURCHASE ATRIO I ATRIO II ATRIO III

A t White Dirt we develop functional objects derived from unique sculptural forms. Our work is informed by storytelling and curiosity is at the core of our explorations. We embrace the raw qualities of the materials we work with as we transform them. Each collection seeks to balance tradition, history, and contemporary vernacular. After two decades of running her art studio, Dana Harel founded White Dirt in 2020 with the mission to create objects, made for everyday use, that maintain the allure of art. ​ danaharel.com

GALA is our latest family of lighting. ​ Developed in collaboration with Chroma - we were inspired by the fluid forms and dream-like juxtapositions of the surrealists. We put hands to paper to create a dining room chandelier. One-of-a-kind cast brass connections, fabricated by a lost wax technique, gently suspend the glowing paper shells in mid-air. ​ GALA Chandelier Specialty paper and brass L 48 in x W 32 in x H 50 in (height variable) Handmade in San Francisco ​ Special thanks to Dogfork Lamp Arts, JR Casting, and Tucci Lighting. ​ ​

Drafts in WHITE On WHITE DIRT Issue 1 February 2023 By Dana Harel Six years ago, while traveling through the Carolinas, I came across kaolin clay, colloquially known as “white dirt.” I became fascinated with its diverse uses. Believed to provide essential minerals, it is consumed by pregnant women in the south - while around the world, it serves as a core ingredient for porcelain, a highly desired type of pottery. This juxtaposition did not leave my mind - a dirt that is both consumed and simultaneously used to make the plates we eat off of. A substance which was sought after by royalty while casually available to the masses. When I returned home to San Francisco, the more I played with this clay in my studio, the more I became enraptured with the possibilities of the medium. These beginnings also paralleled my search for a studio name. Winter is a season of hibernation, an opening for deep reflections. This winter, I found myself contemplating the journey of White Dirt and the origin of our name. I am neither a trained ceramicist nor sculptor - I am a trained architect. My work has always involved translating my ideas from 2D to 3D. Kaolin clay is more than just the medium. It has many different sub-stories. At White Dirt we appreciate story-telling as part of our process. Breaking open molds, sketching new ideas, chiseling, building anew, taking our time to form and craft each of our pieces. Join us on Instagram to continue the story. Images: Rodin, Pantheon, WHITE DIRT Free Dirt Photo by David Henry (Alabama) Drafts in White are bimonthly notes from our studio – inspirations, illuminations, and cultural explorations.

Drafts in WHITE The Way of the Flower Issue 4 October 2023 ​ Lately, I find myself spending a lot of quality time in my garden… I have always perceived my vases as sculptures, and so I have resisted the notion of integrating plant life into them despite the obvious inclination. Then, in 2020, I came across an exhibition of work by Sōfū Teshigahara at Nonaka Hill Gallery in Los Angeles. This is how I first encountered the work of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, founded by Teshigahara in 1927. Ikebana is a traditional Japanese flower arranging practice, dating back to the 7th century in Japan, and started as flower offerings on altars. I was profoundly moved by the work of Master Kaz Yokou Kitakima, a renowned practitioner and teacher at Ikebana Sogetsu Los Angeles . Kitakama broke the rules of ikebana, specifically in the exhibition at Nanoka Hill where he eliminated the vase as the base. He played with scale and worked directly on the ground, transforming ikebana from a restrained aesthetic moment into a kind of landscape design. Following this awakening to the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, I was inspired to use nature as a sculpting medium. Returning to my garden everyday I find a cornucopia of potential greens to work with. Through playful improvisation, my studio has seen the likes of clippings from succulents, a giant leopard plant, and my eccentric rose bush named “Steve.” The discovery of non-traditional ikebana inspired me to incorporate nature into my studio practice and at last find a way to integrate my vases with plants. Drafts in WHITE are bimonthly notes from our studio – inspirations, illuminations, and cultural explorations. Images: White Dirt photography by Nikki Gerdes ; Photo of Flower Arrangement: The Ikebana Way by Jessica Eve Rattner .

The TAZZA collection of cups is derived from a series of three small sculptures, each of which features a palm-sized river rock registered at its base that translates into a satisfying two-handed hold in slip-cast porcelain. Designed initially as companion objects for use with the pitchers in the debut SUITES collection, each of the different cups in the TAZZA collection holds its own. ​ ​ SLIP-CAST PORCELAIN MATTE EXTERIOR GLAZED INTERIOR FOOD SAFE UNLIMITED EDITION MADE IN SAN FRANCISCO ​ INQUIRE TAZZA I TAZZA II TAZZA III

“Ortolan. It is a deep fried songbird. You eat it whole. This is like a rare privilege. And it’s also kind of illegal. [The napkin] is for the head. The exact purpose is debated. Some say it is to mask the shame. Others to heighten the pleasure.” -HBO’s Succession ORA I SCULPTURAL TABLE LIGHT Our first foray into lighting. Each hand-carved light in this collection is a nod to cultivating quiet moments of reflection. ​ Natural elements are melded together to create a sculptural piece that is both an artifact and an everyday fixture. ​ The ORA collection consists of four different sculptural lights. They are created in small batches from white gypsum cement, muslin, and brass. ​ Handmade in San Francisco ​ Tear Sheet ​ Inquire ORA II SCULPTURAL TABLE LIGHT ORA SCULPTURAL LIGHTS ORA III SCULPTURAL TABLE LIGHT ORA IV SCULPTURAL LIGHT INSTALLATION