Artist to Know: Hilal Minda — Inside Art with Michael Rose

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Michael Rose, Art Contributor

 

Handmade bowls, plates, and other useful domestic objects once populated the tables of every household. While most now stock their homes with mass-produced items, the appeal of the handcrafted is enhanced in a contemporary world saturated with technology. Select artists are leading the charge to bring beautiful hand-formed pieces into households. One such individual is the talented Hilal Minda, who operates New Moon Ceramics at her studio in Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village. Minda’s ceramic works bring organic forms, lustrous surfaces, and vivid colors to the homes of her collectors, enlivening everyday lives in the process.

 

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Hilal's studio at Hope Artiste Village PHOTO: Michael Rose

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Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, Minda showed an interest in art at an early age. Her mother encouraged her creative sensibilities and supported her pursuit of a degree in art. In Istanbul, Minda attended Marmara University of Fine Arts, where she was juried into a ceramics program within a rigorous studio art curriculum. Emigrating to the United States, Minda made her home in the Providence area and continued her education by studying Architecture and Engineering Technology at New England Tech.

Since 2001, she has operated her successful ceramics practice, making items as various as mugs, platters, and yarn bowls, all imbued with a beautiful sense of form and color that is all her own. In her studio, one can find an array of artful ceramics that were thrown by hand on a wheel in the center of the space and fired in Minda’s electric kiln in the back.

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

When asked about her work and process, Minda says, “I am fortunate to pursue my passion as a professional studio artist and to be able to call it a ‘job’. I am a detailed oriented creator and I care greatly about each piece that I design in my studio. I have to be completely satisfied with my own work before sharing with others. My primary focus has been to create both sculptural and functional ceramics collections inspired by natural elements and organic forms as well as the use of contrasting combinations of bold colors, textures, and patterns.”

Minda’s business moniker, New Moon Ceramics, takes its inspiration from her first name, which translates to “crescent moon”. Themes of nature wind their way through her work. Leveraging this vision and her unique set of skills, she creates objects that make fine ceramics available to a large audience.

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

Speaking of what she hopes her buyers take away from her work, Minda states, “A great quality work is tremendously important with ceramics. It has to serve the needs for many years to come and hopefully from one generation to another. I also believe that my customers do feel my passion when they are using my ceramic pieces and that’s quite important to me.”

Through her craft, Minda has also established a passionate following and boasts over 30,000 Facebook followers. Individuals who collect Minda’s ceramics acquire objects that meld usefulness and elegance. During the pandemic, Minda saw increased interest in her work and shipped out specially crafted pieces to homes around the country.

All of these artworks are linked back to Rhode Island. Minda has maintained a studio in the heart of Hope Artist Village on Main Street in Pawtucket for some time and can currently be found in Unit 2224. Speaking of the physical space where she creates her work, she says, “I am a full-time studio artist and that can create some social isolation. Having my retail/studio place at the Hope Artiste Village has created a great opportunity to be a part of the art community. I also have so many talented, hard-working studio neighbors and that is quite inspirational.”

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

Minda is also a member of the Foundry Artists Association and will exhibit at the group’s annual holiday show December 2nd through 5th and December 10th through 12th at the historic Pawtucket Armory. This is an ideal opportunity to see a selection of Minda’s work in person alongside pieces by her peers.

Looking forward, Minda has many ceramics orders to fulfill and plenty of other projects on her docket. Speaking of what she’s most excited about, she says, “I always feel excited about creating and sharing. Adding new designs to my collection always keeps my creative mind fresh and excited. I recently started to paint and hope to be able to display my sculptural ceramics and my paintings in the galleries in the upcoming year.”

 

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PHOTO: Michael Rose

 

A multi-talented artist and businessperson, Minda is also a deeply engaging individual. Through her well-made artworks she conveys useful objects from Rhode Island to the homes of her collectors, while continuing a long and proud tradition of ceramic craft.

Minda’s work can be purchased online at http://newmoonstudio.etsy.com

Learn more about the Foundry Artists Association Show, which Minda will participate in, at https://www.foundryshow.com

 

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