IN THE CRACKS, THERE'S MAGIC: A CONVERSATION WITH CERAMIC ARTIST FAITH AKGUN
Nestled in a quiet canyon in Lincoln Heights, ceramicist Faith Akgun works with clay in a way that feels more like communion than craft.
Photography by Isabel Castro
Faith Akgun’s hand-built vessels, often created using a coiling technique, are inspired by classical forms and organic silhouettes, but it’s the imperfections, the fingerprints and fire scars, that carry the soul of her pieces. Her work is not just about pottery; it’s about slowness, curiosity, and being in deep relationship with land, process, and community.
“I live in a little canyon in Northeast LA with a trail that runs behind my house,” she says. “The hill is minimally developed; there’s a native plant project and so many wild animals: coyotes, hawks, skunks, rabbits, snakes, and a crew of lovable neighborhood dogs. In the distance, you can see Dodgers Stadium, the downtown skyline, Mt. Baldy, and the Griffith Observatory. It’s a strange and beautiful juxtaposition. I love this canyon. It keeps me curious and reminds me to look for the kooky cracks wherever I am.”
“I MOVED TO LA FOR ACCESS TO NATURE. I LOVE DRIVING AN HOUR OR FIVE TO HIKE, SWIM, AND CAMP. LA IS AN EXPANSIVE CITY THAT SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE A PATCHWORK OF VILLAGES RATHER THAN A COHESIVE URBAN MASTERPLAN, AND THERE’S SO MUCH MAGIC IN THE CRACKS BETWEEN THE PATCHES.”
That philosophy, of finding beauty in the in-between, is woven throughout Faith’s work. Whether she’s walking the trail behind her home or firing clay in a pit in Malibu, she approaches her practice with a sense of wonder and impermanence.
That balance between intentionality and surrender shows up in her most recent body of work: pieces created during a pit fire in Malibu, scorched and smoked by seaweed, eggshells, salt. Some cracked. Some failed. Some were transformed. All were kept. “The whole thing was an exploration of aesthetic, process, and letting go,” she says. “I love the body of work that resulted, cracks and all.”
“BE PLAYFUL. BE CURIOUS. HONOR TRADITION AND CULTURE AS YOU REIMAGINE NARRATIVES. CHOOSE RESTRAINT OVER EXTRAVAGANCE. LEAVE BREADCRUMBS FROM YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCES. EXPLORE THROUGH AESTHETIC, AND GRACEFULLY LET GO OF WHAT BREAKS OR DOESN’T WORK.”
For Faith, sustainability isn’t just about materials, it’s a mindset. “With clay, I think a lot about recycling my scraps, using untraditional objects as tools, using minimal water, making the bowl I need rather than buying it. Being a maker feels like a tenet of sustainability,” she reflects. “It’s about using your skills to be self-sufficient without relying purely on consumption. It always takes a village, though.”
And her advice to anyone designing their own sanctuary? Be resourceful.
“There are so many clever ways to drum up beauty and style - whether it’s taking a dried palm frond from the street and treating it like a sculpture, finding eclectic glassware at a yard sale, framing a page from an old coffee table book, or handmaking your own art. Design is an expression of your character,” she says. “It’s not often achieved best by buying it off an Instagram ad.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Inspiring!