On daily rituals:
I try to do yoga most days, drink glass of Kombucha, cycle ride to work, and always eat a cooked lunch. I don’t like sandwiches. And unless I’m going out, I go to bed pretty early and read.
On growing up in Taranaki, New Zealand:
I visit there every summer, and I think it gave me a love of the sea and of mountains. In terms of art, certainly my interest in ceramics and craft is directly informed from my childhood experiences.
On her love of gardening:
My parents always had a kitchen garden, buying things like herbs and greens seems alien!
On nature informing her work and the process of making:
Currently nature is really present. I’m making Bronzes that have a Nasturtium vibe, and the moulds are being taken from a natural rubber I import from Brasil, which has a very lumpy leathery surface.
"Beauty and joy for me are inextricably linked. The word beauty always makes me think of the faces of people I love, and plants."
On experimenting in the kitchen:
After reading Micheal Pollen’s In Defence of Food I decided to try to use a larger percentage of whole grains in my cooking, and cut down on white rice, which is a staple for me. I’ve been making Kombucha for many years now, and I’m always trying different teas to adjust the flavor- and trying to work out the perfect 2nd fermentation bottling time. I’m trying to work out a perfect breakfast at the moment, and I don’t have it yet, but I think it’s going to be some kind of millet porridge.
I love Auckland’s Little Bird cafe. I’m going to try and learn how to make a version of their Kimchi Chickpea Pancake.
On her most re-read book:
I think I read the Hobbit about 10 times when I was a child, but since then I haven’t re-read it as an adult, so not sure that counts. I read a lot- and don’t tend to re-read fiction, so really it must be River Cafe’s Two Easy cooking book, as it’s full of useful ideas and the recipes all work.