TO ME, CREATING CERAMIC FORMS IS A FORM OF MEDITATION. WITH EACH COIL OR PINCH, I’M IN DIALOGUE WITH MEMORY—OFTEN THINKING ABOUT A CERTAIN ENERGY, PERSON, OR DAYDREAM AS I SHAPE THE VESSEL. THAT QUIET FOCUS BECOMES EMBEDDED IN THE CLAY.
I BELIEVE THE ENERGY I HOLD WHILE FORMING EACH PIECE STAYS WITHIN IT, AND CAN BE FELT BY THOSE WHO INTERACT WITH IT. MY PRACTICE IS DRIVEN BY THIS INVISIBLE THREAD—USING RITUAL AND INTENTION TO TURN RAW MATERIAL INTO SOMETHING SACRED, SOMETHING THAT HOLDS STORY, SPIRIT, AND TIME.
`BELLA TYLEN
​
“Przez żoÅ‚Ä…dek do serca.”
(“Through the Stomach to The Heart”)
​​
This piece is a lighthearted tribute to Polish cooking — and more specifically, to the art of making pierogi with my Babcia. My most cherished moments with her are spent gathered around the kitchen island, folding dozens of pierogi for family gatherings. Cooking for those she loves is the light of my Babcia’s life — a warmth I’ve seen in every Babcia I’ve ever met.
​
Watching her cook, laughing as we pinch and twist dough together, is just as rewarding as tasting the pierogi themselves. Now, when I’m coiling pots, I often find my hands repeating those same motions — pinch and twist, pinch and twist — and it makes me smile. I see her in that rhythm. I feel the continuity.
​
The scalloped edge on this piece echoes those familiar dumpling folds — a small, joyful nod to a tradition that has fed generations, in both body and soul.
​​
DIMENSIONS: 7” x 7” x 8”
Glazed white stoneware, raw silk ribbon
​
$500
​
“Rozeta dla Babci”
(“Rosettes for Grandma”)
​​
This piece is an offering of protection to the women who came before me — the grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and those whose names have been lost to time. In Slavic tradition, the rosette is a symbol of protection and endurance.
​
My great-great-grandmother was tragically burned alive during World War II, with my great-grandmother witnessing the horrific tragedy as a child. Hardships echoed through the generations that followed, and the women of my Polish lineage were forced to be strong, often in silence.
​
I offer this vessel as a token of protection to those who came before me, and to those who will come after. The red ribbon, a frequent symbol in Polish tradition, represents my connection to my ancestors — a visible tie to my bloodline, and to the strength that flows through.
​
DIMENSIONS: 7” x 7” x 15”
Glazed white stoneware, raw silk ribbon
​
$850
​
“The Remembrance Vessel”
​​
This vessel honors the quiet endurance of my Polish ancestors—those whose names and stories may have been lost to time, but whose presence continues to shape my own.
Water, symbolizing memory and passage, fills the form; a floating flame flickers as a gesture of ongoing remembrance. Red ribbons tied to the handles evoke traditional Polish folk adornment and ancestral ties—bonds that carry both grief and celebration.
This piece is both an offering and a bridge, holding space for reflection, lineage, and the persistence of love across generations.
​​
DIMENSIONS: 10” x 10” x 12”
Glazed white stoneware, raw silk ribbon, candles, water
​
$650
​
