Théo Dikötter
Formerly a school teacher and now a photographer and videomaker, art has always been at the center of my life. I’ve written music and toured with bands, filled notebooks with drawings, painted canvases, and created 3D forms both as artworks and for video games. Curious by nature, I explored many creative paths before discovering the one that stayed with me: ceramics.
The realization came while 3D modeling, reflecting on how little of that medium exists in the physical world. How had I tried so many art forms, yet never pottery?
Unable to afford more than a single lesson, I bought a cheap wheel and set it up in the corner of my tiny living room, wedged between a table and a sofa, and began teaching myself. Piece after piece, I experimented — mixing clays, turning them into slip for casting, designing forms to print and mold, carving, painting, and testing every technique I could.
Over time, that curiosity became a language in clay. From it, KÖ was born — ceramics shaped through experimentation, intention, and a search for quiet beauty.
Process
Each piece is made by hand through a range of processes. Most are wheel-thrown, while others are slip-cast in molds I design and make myself, or built from slabs and coils. Some combine several techniques. Details such as carving and surface work are always done by hand, and each piece is finished individually.
Glazes
Developing my own glazes has been part of my practice from the beginning. Through study, testing, and refinement, I create formulas that give me full control over surface, depth, and tone. Each material is selected with its use in mind, and my glazes are formulated without the use of lead or cadmium.
Approach
Working in a material-intensive medium calls for care and intention. All clay and glaze materials are recycled in my studio, firings are carried out in an energy-efficient kiln, and supplies are sourced locally when available. I formulate my own glazes and create each piece with durability in mind, so it can be used, kept, and lived with for years.