Marité Acosta | Studio Visit

In the quiet town of Tumalo, Oregon, nestled in a red warehouse alongside a western-themed antique store, I had the opportunity to visit the studio of ceramic artist Marité Acosta (pronounced MAR-a-TAE).

A long time in the making, our visit began with a warm hug and lots of catching up. Though Tumalo is only a three-hour car ride from Portland, this was the first weekend I'd justified taking off since opening the shop.

Marité's studio, as captured in these behind-the-scenes photos from our visit in October, is the perfect backdrop for her work. The tall ceilings give air to the space, while the white walls offer a stark contrast to the expressive ceramic works adorning the tables and shelves. 

There’s something intimate about witnessing an artist’s personal environment, and Marité’s studio is no exception.

Everywhere you look, you find evidence of years of devotion and special moments of material exploration: sculpted wings drying on shelves, notebooks filled with thoughts in progress, 20+ miniature busts hiding in drawers, aprons covered in clay, and even a mixed-media canvas adorned with an image of Bob Dylan hidden in a back room.

Within her ceramic work you see vast, abstract skylines and landscapes, while the chemical reaction of her glazes paint starry skies, moss covered trees, indigo oceans, and snowy formations. Everything here tells a story and illicits memories of time and place. 

Our few-hour visit flew by in what felt like minutes. In Marité, there's a quiet strength and warmth that has you opening up almost immediately. Her attitude, much like her work, feels free and unforced. It’s not about control but about letting things be.

In a world where efficiency and productivity are prioritized, Marité moves forward in the opposite direction. 

My time in Acosta's studio was filled with shared laughs and inspiration, leaving me with a deep appreciation for the ease and naturalness behind her work, which I am honored to share a glimpse of our short interview featured here. 

Hello Marité! Could you tell our readers how you got started making ceramics?

Years ago, in NYC I worked as a childrenswear designer and my team and I would work crazy hours with little to no breaks. I signed us all up for a pottery class to give us something fun to do outside of work. We did this for weeks, and I never forgot that feeling. I finally had an opportunity to sign up for another class years later; that was it! I was hooked for good. I kept rearranging my work and life to allow me endless hours in the studio.

You’ve worked at a high level with many mediums (textiles, design, food styling, cooking.) What made you decide to stick with ceramics?

I’ve been so lucky to get to work in areas that I’m passionate about. I love clay and all the ways this medium allows me to express myself.

In 2017, you moved from New York City to Bend, Oregon. What spurred such a significant lifestyle change?

My wife and I came to Oregon for the first time in 2010 and drove through Bend for a single day to visit friends. We came back a few months later to ski, then kept visiting for the next few years, loving it more with each visit. After more than 30 years of living in NYC, we decided to make the leap and haven’t looked back since! We enjoy visiting now.

What influences play a role in your work?

In my artistic work, over time I’ve realized the influence that my father’s creative endeavors have had on me. He was a doctor but always very artistic. He created collages, went deep into bonsai, and later was a self-taught painter focused on iconography. His curiosity and ability to dive in always inspired me. I mostly work with clay, but I find myself enjoying other mediums as well. Technology has brought our worlds so close, and I am inspired by so many artists, past and present. Mostly, though, pure curiosity and a love of creating. Has moving away from the city impacted this? Yes and no. NYC provides so much exposure to all worlds and at the highest and broadest levels. I do miss this energy and my community. My creative world in NYC was so supportive of every expression I pursued, and you can be and do anything there with total freedom and without judgment. As a creative, I miss this. I have also found inspiration in a quieter space here, and with the breathtaking nature all around me, I find myself just as inspired.

We'd love to know more about your creative process. Could you walk us through it?

I love the creative process! I am almost always thinking about it, whether clay, or paint, or food, or garden, on and on. I find that I am often thinking about it before going to sleep. Then I inevitably think about it when I wake up and then can’t wait to get into the studio. I’ll make rough sketches for future ideas. Lists! I make endless lists of things I want to make or do and try to get to all of them. Clay is all about process and it’s lengthy, so I embrace that and try to stay organized. For the newer and figurative work, I allow myself loads of head and heart space to create. I’ve been painting a bit too. This doesn’t come easily to me, but the first pieces that I painted were large and completely cathartic. It was very healing. So, I am very open to exploring more of this too. To me, creating in any way is healing.

What do you want people to take away from your work? What feelings would you like to evoke?

I think people who are drawn to my work appreciate imperfections in a similar way that I do. I didn’t really know the definition of wabi-sabi until years after I was working and designing with clay when I realized that this philosophy came naturally to me. In clay, in art, and in life. I’ve never given too much thought to how someone else will think about my work. When I have gone there in the process, it rarely results in something meaningful to me. No matter how small or simple the work that I make, I really put my energy into each piece, and I guess my hope is that those drawn to it can feel that – in some way.

You seem to have two distinct lines of work: your functional tableware and your more explorative works. What inspires you to create these different pieces?

As a designer, I’ve always been drawn to creating functional work. I love imagining the spaces in which they could live and how someone might use them in their daily lives. I don’t struggle with making something perfect, nor even with a single use in mind. It’s that freedom that I’ve allowed myself in my clay work that has kept me engaged. I’ve also been so inspired as I explore figurative work. This particular work has given me more freedom with clay than I would have imagined, which motivates me to continue my exploration.

It's apparent how influential and important your Cuban heritage is to you; how has
your upbringing and culture influenced your work?

I’ve often struggled with what I am culturally. I’m the firstborn in the U.S. in my family, and I am proudly American in every way. My family moved here just a few years before I was born, and I grew up here as they assimilated into their new country. We only spoke Spanish at home, ate Cuban food every day (my mother was an amazing cook!), and listened to Cuban music, but I have always longed to be connected with that part of me in a more significant way. I suppose just having parents who came from another country and that culture is in my DNA. I’m just not sure how that translates visually to my work. They’ve always loved art and craft, and that was always around.

What other types of passions and interests do you have outside of your work with
clay?

Food & Design! My wife is a chef, and I’m classically trained and worked in food
for some time. It’s a passion that we both share and continue to work in together. And
learning, I am an eternal student of anything and everything that interests me. There are too many to list.

Are there any pieces you enjoy making the most?

Bowls. They signify so much more than just a vessel to eat from. Their spiritual significance in ceremony is of particular interest, and simply their many uses in our daily lives. That said, my ikebana vessels are perhaps my favorite pieces that I’ve been making for over a decade. It’s been so wonderful to see them appear in books and featured in publications over the years.

Which of your pieces do you use the most in your daily life?

One of my bowls and this tiny little cup I keep next to my bathroom sink. It holds maybe 2oz, and it’s perfect.

Think of an object in your home that has the most significance to you. Could you
share what it is and the memory behind it?

I have two. A portrait oil painting of my mother. It was painted when I was 3 years old. It’s amazing. The colors, and of course, it’s her—also, some of my father’s paintings. I have many, but just a few that hang in my home, and I sometimes change them.

Lastly, where do you see your work going in the future?

I am excited to continue the exploration of my figurative work and how that continues to influence my work across the board. It’s quite a thing building these figures and then getting to a point in the process that is so connected to the piece. I will always enjoy making work a part of daily life, too.

Any exciting news or events coming up that our readers should know about?

Well, right now I’m excited and honored that some of my work is now in your beautiful shop! Thank you.