Explorations in material take on a deeper meaning in the work of these four talented makers, whose collectible objects are as functional as they are covetable. We sat down with Chuma Maweni, Osanna Visconti, Simone Bodmer-Turner, and Ombia Studio Founder Cristina Moreno to talk about unexpected sources of inspiration, pivotal career moments, and experiences that shaped who they are and how they create today.
Chuma Maweni
The South Africa–based ceramist has put his stamp on traditional Zulu and Xhosa techniques.
Chuma Maweni in his Cape Town studio.
When did you first think of yourself as a creator?
CM: There wasn’t a defining moment that I remember, more a realization a few years ago that people, from curators to collectors to family, had started to take notice of my work and wanted to know more about it. That was a very affirming shift for me, particularly in terms of how my parents saw me.
Chuma Maweni’s Zoliswa (Qavashe), a rounded mirror with a frame made of clay tiles.
What would surprise people most about your process?
CM: People are surprised when they realize that my works are made from clay. They often think they’re made of wood. When people think about ceramics, they tend to think of sculpture and vessels, not furniture.
iSibane (Maweni) in glazed stoneware, glass, and steel.
What was the last trip you took that sparked your creative output?
CM: Going home to Mthatha is always inspiring for me and my work. When I’m there I can practice smoke-firing using cow dung. I can literally watch the cows in the field while I work! There’s something very interesting about this idea of going back to the source.
The installation iMvelaphi, on view at Southern Guild in Cape Town in 2024.
Who is your dream collaborator?
CM: Within the stable of my gallery, Southern Guild, I would love to collaborate with Adam Birch and Zanele Muholi.
Osanna Visconti
The Milanese metalworker is well known for her elegant pieces made with the lost-wax casting technique.
Visconti in her Milan studio.
When did you first think of yourself as a creator?
OV: Ever since I was a child. At school I would take pliers, thin golden thread, and beads into the classroom and produce pieces to share with my classmates.
Osanna Visconti’s Bambù bookshelf in natural bronze.
What would surprise people most about your process?
OV: My eclecticism, just like the matter I shape. I am an artisan and an artist, and my practice spans art and technique, beauty and function. I am not a sculptor nor an industrial designer, even though I share my approach and quest for meaning with design.
Visconti’s cast bronze Campanula floor lamp.
What was the last trip you took that inspired your creative output?
OV: It was in a weekend house, looking at a magnolia tree of considerable size, with branches touching the windows. I grasped the life cycle of a flower, nature’s most exquisite creation, and it inspired my Magnolia collection of furniture in natural bronze.
Visconti’s cast bronze Bambu armchair.
What music do you listen to while you work?
OV: All piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Simone Bodmer-Turner
Working in rural Massachusetts, Bodmer-Turner’s studio practice manages to span mediums and meanings.
Bodmer-Turner applying a glaze to one of her chairs.
When did you first think of yourself as a creator?
SBT: I’ve always known one of my skills was being creative, but saying it out loud to my family, with the intention of doing creative work as my profession rather than as an extracurricular, set me on the path I am now on.
What would surprise people most about your process?
SBT: I do absolutely nothing with a computer or any technology—except email.
Lamps from the Tulip series.
What was the last trip you took that inspired your creative output?
SBT: My partner and I have been learning to sail. Being on a boat in the middle of the ocean brings clarity, and the multipurposeness and collapsibility of spaces within a boat is so inspiring.
What advice would you have for your younger self?
SBT: Don’t tell yourself you can’t create something you’re passionate about just because you haven’t seen someone structure a practice that way before. Your gut will always know what’s right for you.
Ombia Studio
From her studio in Los Angeles, Cristina Moreno makes sculptural furniture in clay and wood.
Ombia Studio founder Cristina Morenoin her L.A. studio.
When did you first think of yourself as a creator?
CM: I started painting when I was two years old and have known ever since that creativity would forever be a part of me.
Ombia Studio’s Arena side table in ceramic.
What would surprise people most about your process?
CM: The technicality and how physically difficult it is to make these tables. When I have friends come by the studio, they’re always amazed—they never thought each piece could take so many steps and require so much muscle.
Cleo, a five-legged ceramic side table.
What was the last trip you took that impacted your creative output?
CM: Production trips to Mexico City are always fruitful. Places that have a deep artisanal ancestry remind me that there is so much to learn, and beauty in the handmade. I’m still thinking about my trip to the gold museum in Bogotá, Colombia.
Musica, a sculptural dining chair.
What was the last work of art you saw that inspired your output, and how?
CM: I wouldn’t say art directly inspires my output. At least not consciously. I usually find that ancient functional objects are what really inspire me.
This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE
