Meet the Maker: Inside the Studio of Nathalee Paolinelli

In a light-filled studio in Vancouver, ceramic artist Nathalee Paolinelli works slowly and intuitively, allowing material, movement, and time to guide each piece. Her practice is rooted in patience rather than precision, resulting in handmade ceramics that feel organic, tactile, and deeply alive. Recently, Obakki sent our internal photographer to visit Nathalee in her studio to witness her process firsthand.

Canadian Clay, Coastal Influence, and Nathalee's Process

Born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and now based in Vancouver, Nathalee’s work is shaped by Canada’s coastal terrain and slower rhythms. Rather than rushing toward completion, she allows her ceramics to unfold gradually, responding to clay as it moves, settles, and transforms in her hands. Working exclusively with Canadian clay, Nathalee’s process is deeply tied to place, allowing the material itself to guide form, texture, and finish.

“I use only Canadian clay and invent techniques for hand building and glazing that feel unique to my practice. I want the work to feel alive.”

This sensitivity to place and material is a defining trait of many ceramic artists. In Nathalee’s work, it translates into an approach to craft that is grounded, patient, and deeply connected to natural forces rather than speed or uniformity.

Ruffle Diner Plate

$80.00

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Ruffle Cereal Bowl

$88.00

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Blurring Art and Function in Handmade Ceramics

Nathalee’s work lives in the space between sculpture and utility. Her handmade ceramics—ranging from bowls and vessels to sculptural objects and serveware—are designed to be touched, used, and lived with.

Paper-thin walls, organic edges, and layered glazes give her pieces a sense of fragility and strength at once. Rather than dictating how a piece should be used, Nathalee leaves room for interpretation, allowing each object to take on meaning through daily rituals.

This balance of beauty and use places her work firmly within the tradition of functional ceramics, while still pushing into sculptural territory. “I focus on sustainability and emotional connection,” Nathalee explains—an ethos that shapes both how her pieces are made and how they’re meant to be experienced.

Forms Shaped by NaturE

Nathalee draws from natural textures and elements found along the coast, allowing references to coral, barnacles, and organic growth patterns to surface through touch, pressure, and glaze.

“Each piece is meant to tell a story. Whether it’s a vessel that mimics coral or a sconce that looks like snakeskin.”

Over time, these recurring forms have become foundational to her work. They offer continuity while still leaving room for experimentation, allowing function and sculpture to exist side by side.

Ritual and Experimentation

Nathalee’s clay art studio is filled with past experiments, unfinished ideas, and pieces that may never be sold. Rather than a space of final outcomes, it functions as a living archive—one that reflects her belief that making is an ongoing dialogue, not a pursuit of perfection.

Within this approach, mistakes are not setbacks but essential guides. Each iteration informs the next, allowing surfaces, textures, and forms to develop through repetition and discovery. By leaving room for chance, Nathalee creates space for her work to evolve organically—shaped by curiosity, patience, and a willingness to remain open to what emerges.

New collections rarely begin with a fixed plan. Instead, inspiration unfolds slowly through observation, reflection, and a return to forms that feel unresolved. “I’ve been experimenting lately with larger forms that blend functionality with art,” she notes—a shift that reflects her ongoing interest in allowing scale and purpose to evolve together.

In a world shaped by mass production, Nathalee prioritizes one-of-a-kind ceramic pieces that invite pause and reflection. This openness allows each collection to evolve naturally, balancing experimentation with continuity, and giving her work a quiet coherence that carries across forms, scales, and materials.