christina zamora

My work in materials, specifically ceramic, has been a journey of prolific exploration and experimentation.

Developing endless palettes of color with depth and tactility, I use color to give detail to quiet, minimal forms. I think in chemical reactions, oxides and minerals, layering and temperature. 

I use the hand to design series of gestures and rhythms to be translated into methods of manufacturable repetition and predictable and reliable results.

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2004-13.

In collaboration with Alice Waters, chef and owner of famed restaurant Chez Panisse, this would be the first new dinnerware line to be introduced into production since the 1980’s, with only three complete lines ever produced over the span of Heath’s 60 year legacy. 

With a shared vision and passion, we set out to create a dinnerware collection inspired by the slow food movement: supporting small growers and artisanal producers, safeguarding the environment, and promoting biodiversity. 

As with all products designed at Heath, the design criteria was, it had to be timeless. Leading the design effort and instrumental in process development, I worked with a potter to create rapid prototypes using handthrown methods; hand filing profiles to lathe design iterations in clay on the wheel; testing countless pieces for design integrity and durability suitable for restaurant use; moving into CAD for final design drawings and tooling. Working in this way allowed me to become intimate with the behavior of the material and form throughout the design, development and production process. 

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2006-present.

Natalie Chanin, is founder of Alabama Chanin, an artisanal clothing company. Chanin’s work is embedded in the traditional southern craft of quilt making, where a community of women come together and sew. Her clothing is made in this same way, entirely hand stitched by people employed in the local community. 

I was asked to design and develop a technique that could utilize the existing classic coupe dinnerware line while, at the same time, be appropriate to both Heath’s and Chanin’s values and aesthetics. 

After experimenting with various ceramic techniques, one technique that stood out as achieving this goal in the most honest way was sgraffito—a technique in which a tool is used to engrave a design through the glaze, into the clay body. The most important element to the designs and execution of this technique is that the patterns would have to be hand etched onto each plate, completely freehand.

I designed the patterns and developed a formulaic strategy for reproducing them in a repeatable fashion, in a hybrid studio/production context. Heath would hire its first production artist, an illustrator I trained to execute the designs. The result: a collection of three etched patterns on coupe dinnerware shapes, designed to mix and match with the existing coupe line and palette.

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2011-present.

Up until 2007, Heath had only a single bud vase design in its collection of accessories beyond the more “functional” teapot, casseroles and serving bowls. And for that matter, that bud vase doubled as a salt and pepper shaker. No one has yet to confirm which came first. 

The design brief I was given was simple: design a family of vases, inspired by the bud vase. Having a potter throw “blanks” in the general size and proportions I wanted, I trimmed the vessels myself to produce samples with multiple curve refinements. This intimacy with the material would inform the final shapes, resulting in a quiet yet bold modesty, as pragmatic as the original bud vase.

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2007-present.

In 2008, we were approached by James Freeman, founder of Blue Bottle Coffee.  He wanted to use Heath mugs exclusively at his cafe, opening in the new rooftop garden at SFMOMA. The only thing missing from the line was an espresso cup. With an extremely short development timeline, I set out to design a cup that fit into the existing coupe mug family, yet cost effective enough to manufacture quickly.

The challenge was to design a very small mug on a machine made for making bowls (far less tooling time and investment), without the bottle neck of attaching a handle by hand. The solution was a cup with the handle formed together in the mold. The result: a timeless piece produced in less manufacturing steps without sacrificing design integrity. 

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2008-present.

I was introduced to L.A.-based clothing and accessories designer, Christina Kim, in 2004. An early advocate for the worker in the clothing production process, her clothing label, Dosa, has become well known for its extensive use of handcrafted materials and traditional textile techniques.

It was a fitting collaboration, as we came together to design a tea set that would be produced and sold at Heath, as well as in the Dosa boutique. Her inspiration was the phases of the moon as it changes shape, moving from light to dark, dark to light.

Designing the cups, each one unique, with subtle curve transitions from one to another, I thought, "this set is going to be a production nightmare." But, staying true to the vision, we persevered, launching the Phases of the Moon tea set in 2005, in two distinct color palettes, each comprised of six mineral and oxide rich glazes. In 2008, a new palette, inspired by jade, was later introduced.

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2005-present.

A collaboration with Andy Cruz, founder of the infamous font foundry House Industries, the house numbers project was a deceptively simplistic product endeavor: apply their mid-century modern fonts, Neutraface, in Condensed Light and Eames Century Modern, in Stencil, to a tile. After many trials and errors, we decided to jigger the tiles on a bowl machine. This would give us the bold graphic look we desired without the warping and bending characteristics of our tile manufacturing methods. We managed to produce 72 different SKUs, 24 number tiles, in 3 glaze colors, and in 2 sizes—forming each, one at a time, on a machine designed for making bowls.

The guys at House Industries described our outcome best: these tiles adroitly combine Heath Ceramics’ clay, kilns and craft with House Industries’ numerical interpretation of the Eames and Neutra legacies in a timeless tribute to a classic California aesthetic.

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2011-present.

Another collaboration with House Industries, the clock project was inspired by the handmade mid-century clocks by Howard Miller and a design philosophy empowered by timelessness. We began development of a clock once again incorporating House fonts as an integral design feature.

The goal was to design two 15 inch clocks for production with House graphics and one clock body that could be re-envisioned by other artists and designers in the future. Of the two House versions, one would be classic, the other abstract. Per the usual process, I started the project by experimenting with new application and development techniques to inspire the direction of the designs.

Numerous prototyping and production challenges lie ahead in pursuit of a product this large, requiring quite a bit of creative problem solving.

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2013-present.

I designed a (last minute) tile surface for a coffee table by Jamie Garza as part of a show at Heath SF called Garza Marfa. Marfa, Texas has been a hotspot for artists, designers and makers like Donald Judd since the 1970’s, influenced by the vast high desert, abandoned military bases, and Native American culture. It is now a destination for artists from all over the world.

The tile pattern concepts were inspired by pillows made from the textiles of used Mexican blankets, also in the show.

Designed and fabricated at Heath Ceramics, 2012.

The container project started off as a collaboration with incredibly talented sculptor, Alma Allen, resulting in a show at the Heath L.A. studio gallery. Allen produced amazing one-of-a-kind walnut tops to pair with our handthrown and studio-glazed containers.

We refined the design and put the smallest container into production. Until we would have the capacity to produce a full collection of sizes, we took the opportunity to manifest versions of the same piece by introducing different tops in various materials and fresh glazes on a seasonal rotation. 

Designed and manufactured at Heath Ceramics, 2008-present.

Once we had a collection of kids dinnerware and accessories, we needed to design packaging for the set, including: one plate, one mug, one bowl, linens and 3-pc cutlery. The packaging needed to provide enough protection to prevent breakage during shipment.

This was an opportunity to create an experience, a window into the factory sharing where and how the products are made. The end result was a re-useable carrying case with illustrations of people and machinery carefully crafting dinnerware from clay. 

Designed and sold at Heath Ceramics, 2008-present.

How We Make Things, a coloring book by Heath Ceramics, is an amazing adventure through the original Heath factory, in a 36 page step-by-step illustrated tour, guided by the men and women who help make the everyday objects enjoyed for generations possible. 

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." —Albert Einstein.

Illustrations and book designed at Heath Ceramics, 2011.