While many artists like to stick with one medium and really hone their craft, Australian artist Niharika Hukku is expanding her skills in two directions. She creates sleek minimalist ceramic vases, then decorates them with rich, lifelike paintings inspired by nature.
Many of her designs feature birds, clouds, fish, and forests, all in soft brushstrokes and vibrant, glowing colors. The result is a detailed image that looks almost like a photo, but done in an elegantly modern way on the smooth vases.
Like many artists, Hukku takes her inspiration from nature and animals, despite living in a densely urban setting.
And combined with the smooth white or black surfaces of the vases, the lifelike details and colors really pop, and the clay gives them an earthy, natural feel, just like it did for another artist's handcrafted coral reef.
Although her background was initially in painting, Hukku started getting into ceramics after working for a while as an illustrator. But she also wanted to continue her painting. So the natural solution, of course, was to combine them.
Check out some of her work below, and let us know your favorite in the comments!
[H/T: Lost At E Minor]
After working as a commercial illustrator for a decade, Hukku felt that she needed to do something "personal and organic." She liked her job, but felt that a personal touch was missing from her life.
So she started exploring the world of ceramics. She took to it immediately, and says that she wanted to learn everything at once. Though her first pieces had mistakes, she soon developed a way to create smooth, polished pieces.
This is what her pottery looks like before it's painted. Even plain, they're quite lovely and minimal.
Even now that she's perfected the craft, Hukku keeps the first piece she made on a pottery wheel. "While it was small and imperfect, I think it beautiful for it reminds me of all the hope I had for myself in learning something new."
Today, she has two studios in her home: one for sculpting and one for painting.
She lives in Sydney, Australia, but even in an urban setting, she finds inspiration in nature.
"I find the skies, landscapes, and wildlife compelling and try to create a connection with it through my work," she says.
Her pieces, which range in size from small to large vases, also include cups and bowls. She keeps them mostly plain so the painted image can really stand out.
Hukku's painting style is delicate and soft, perfect for creating the tiny details of feathers and fins.
But sometimes she likes to paint simplified, graphic-style pieces, too, like these landscapes.
The finished pieces combine her love of both art forms, as well as showcase her skill at both.
And she's always looking for new subjects to explore.
Birds and fish, however, seem to be her favorites. And their naturally vibrant colors make them striking subjects.
Each piece, Hukku says, takes a few days to complete. This includes forming the pottery and firing it, then painting on the design.
And even though she's quite prolific, she tries to keep her work pace relaxed so the work can come out naturally and carefully.
And she's gathered quite a few fans!
