Katherine Morley may be known predominantly as a ceramicist, but during Toronto Design Week 2010, it became increasingly evident that this talented artist and designer wears many a hat. Morley is much influenced by the Canadiana around her and delights in serving it back with a message. Icebergs that reference work by Lawren Harris remind us of the luxury of fresh water; a series of bowls salutes the achievements of some Great Canadians; an iconic biscuit is a reminder of the maple cream sandwich cookies we either love or hate, but were always a part of someone's school lunches. Armed with a wide range of interests and skills, Katherine Morley shows us the importance of what she believes in.

Une Affaire de Coeur


The rug you created for the ERA Rug Design Competition is certainly an eye-catcher with its familiar icons and will strike a chord with any Canadian observer. Were you at all concerned about offending anyone by using two symbols (and putting them on a red background) that are sometimes in conflict?

Thank you! And no, it never occurred to me that some might find "Une Affaire de Coeur" offensive, because I don't see it as expressing a particular political stance. It's not saying "My Canada includes Quebec", neither is it shouting "Vive le Québec libre!" It was designed simply as an homage to the fleur-de-lis and maple leaf, totemic reminders of the sibling-like relationship between French and English speaking Canada. Certainly it IS a relationship that resonates with many Canadians, both positively and negatively, so I was aware that it might incite a reaction from some viewers. But those reactions are a displacement of one's own feelings about the political situation, not actually the design itself. So, offending anyone? No. Inspiring passionate discourse? YES!

In keeping, I chose red, the colour of passion--of love, hate, anger, and excitement, for the background of the piece. Also, since red is the colour of the Canadian flag, it was the perfect choice for this very Canadian theme.



Low Profile Bowls


The silhouettes of a writer/journalist, a ballerina, a native Chief who was an actor and writer, and a popular urbanist and activist are the basis of a new series of bowls. How did you decide on these particular individuals as the subjects for your Low Profile Bowls?

I began the project two days after Celia Franca passed away, in February 2007. As I was reading about her, and all the amazing things she'd done (her accomplishments extend far beyond founding the National Ballet of Canada), I couldn't believe that I'd never heard of her. This was not long after the CBC's "Greatest Canadian" contest aired, so I decided to revisit their top 100, out of curiosity (neither Celia nor Jane Jacobs made the list, by the way). I found that although I agreed with most of the choices, there were some unbelievable reaches and unforgivable oversights. So I made my own list-- Canadians who had accomplished great things, and deserved more attention. My criteria required candidates be outstanding, important Canadians with a broad scope to their accomplishments--no single-threats allowed. I ended up with a very long list, and if I ever have the time, I would love to produce a bowl for each name on the list. However, for the initial batch I had to pair down my selection to four, so I chose the candidates who had the best facial profiles: Jane Jacobs, Celia Franca, Pierre Berton and Chief Dan George.





During Toronto Design Week this year, there were signs of Katherine Morley everywhere: your own booth at IDS, as well as the Affaire de Coeur rug; Saving Seas at Radiant Dark; and in person at Come Up To My Room as one of the curators of this year's event. How do you sum up your work and your aesthetic?

My work definitely treads the line between art and design. On one hand, I am attracted to objects and how we use them, and have a fascination with aesthetics that I rarely admit to. On the other hand, I never want to be the kind of designer who produces work based solely on aesthetics and trends. In fact, I struggle with my field of "product design" frequently, because I feel like there are enough "products" in the world. But I do believe that design can be a tool for change, so I try to create objects that will inspire positive changes in human behaviours.

My aesthetic is somewhat childlike and cartoonish. Simple and unornamented, both aesthetically and conceptually.



Saving Seas


Tell us how Saving Seas, the ceramic alternative to coral aquarium accessories, came into being.

I have had an aquarium since I was seven years old and won a goldfish at the carnival. I took home that ill-fated little Black Moor in his plastic bag, and that was the beginning of a long love affair with underwater environments and all things scaly. A few years ago I had a custom tank built for my apartment, and was looking into aquarium furnishings. I have never been attracted to the widely available plastic accessories, and wanted to go with the more natural look, so I started looking into corals and real ocean décor. I did some research, and was horrified when I learned how huge and devastating the coral harvesting industry is. I decided to work on an alternative to natural coral, and porcelain is a wonderful substitute. Certainly the ceramics industry has its own environmental issues, but we try very hard to conserve water and energy at our small studio, use only non-toxic materials, and reclaim and recycle every possible thing we can.

The "Saving Seas" project has been in the back of my mind for a few years now, and Radiant Dark was the perfect venue to launch the prototypes. There was an added challenge, designing for the "Assets & Values" theme: the pieces had to function outside the tank as well as within the aquarium environment. Consequently, most of the pieces double as vases, though some are purely ornamental when removed from the tank.

I am still working on "Saving Seas", experimenting and perfecting my processes, but I would ultimately love to make an impact on the coral-harvesting industry with an ethically produced line of aquarium furnishings.



Arctic Bookends


You are a singer/songwriter and DJ who has morphed into a designer and ceramicist. How did this transformation come about?

I love that you asked this question! I have been both a musician and a creator for as long as I can remember. I started singing and playing piano when I was about five. Around the same time, I started building rickety treehouse furniture in my dad's basement, and messing around with the clay from the lake at the cottage. Not long after that, I started making mixed tapes in my bedroom, and a few years later I was spinning in clubs. It all seems very seamless to me, but I understand why people get confused when I tell them what I do.

It's less complicated than it seems: DJing pays well, and I only have to do it once or twice a week. I enjoy it, and it has allowed me to be a working singer-songwriter for many years. On a whim, I went back to school in 2002 for some life-drawing classes at OCAD. I was fortunate enough to encounter a couple of supportive, if not downright insistent professors, who encouraged me to come back full-time and guided me into the design stream. I didn't really know what I was doing there--I didn't even really know what Industrial Design was when I applied to the program. But it turned out to be a great field for me, because it encompasses a lot of my creative interests.

So now, I take turns concentrating on music and design, and still DJ regularly. What's really interesting to me is that as I look back on my music and the work I've been doing in design, I see that the underlying themes in both are very similar. I feel lucky to have two creative outlets, and happy that people enjoy any of what I am doing.

+ katherinemorley.com