Maria De Haan

Maria De Haan is a British-Spanish ceramic artist recognised for her smoke-fired sculptures and contemporary ceramic forms. Drawing inspiration from the rugged landscapes of Mallorca, the underwater coral formations she encountered while living in the West Indies and the raw beauty of the natural world, her work explores texture, movement and organic form. Through smoke-firing and an intuitive making process, each sculpture develops its own distinctive surface, celebrating the unpredictable dialogue between clay, fire and atmosphere. After establishing her first studio in London, Maria divided her time between London and the West Indies before relocating permanently to the UNESCO World Heritage village of Deià, Mallorca, in 2015. Surrounded by the dramatic Serra de Tramuntana and the Mediterranean Sea, the island continues to shape her artistic practice, inspiring sculptural works that evoke weathered stone, coastal erosion and the quiet rhythms of nature. Working primarily in stoneware, Maria creates one-of-a-kind sculptures that embrace the expressive qualities of clay and the transformative effects of smoke-firing. Rather than striving for perfection, she allows subtle irregularities and the marks left by fire to become an integral part of each piece, creating works that possess a quiet strength, timelessness and tactile presence. Alongside her artistic practice, Maria founded De Haan Gallery Studio in Deià, an international gallery dedicated to contemporary ceramics through exhibitions, artist residencies and workshops. Today, it has become a destination for collectors, artists and ceramic enthusiasts from around the world. Maria's work is held in private collections internationally.