Cart 
Trained as a hairdresser, Tantri Mustika spent almost a decade cutting hair, before she accidentally ‘found clay’. ‘I think the thing that really sucked me into ceramics was the idea of permanence,’ she explains, ‘A well-made piece of pottery can last generations, which is very different to a haircut, that grows out in a matter of weeks.’
Now working out of her sunny studio in Preston, Tantri uses ‘pretty non-traditional techniques’ to create her work and explore her practice, mostly building pieces by hand, rather than throwing them on a wheel.
You could never tell that Tantri’s range of playful, terazzo-inspired ceramics is her very first collection. With sweet product names like the ‘Cheers Big Ears’ and ‘Pot Belly’, her fun, colourful assembly of ceramic vases, pots and planters have a sense of joy about them. ‘My most recent body of work is an exploration of the never-ending range of colours and shapes found in terrazzo flooring’ she explains.
Contemporary with slightly retro feel, Tantri’s work TOTALLY fit the brief for this year’s Open House event, and more than holds it own amongst a house filled with some of Australia’s most established makers. ‘I can’t wait to see how my work reflects in the thought out space that TDF are going to create for this event’ she says.
In inspiring news, although Tantri hasn’t been making ceramics for long (she only released her first collection in June of this year!), she has recently left her day job to pursue her craft full-time1 ‘I guess the main thing is to keep going with a forward momentum’, she says. We’re rooting for you, Tantri!
We are all obsessed with Tantri’s ceramics! Come and see why at TDF Open House, where we’ll be stocking a range of her exquisite vases and vessels.
It’s all happening from this Thursday November 23rd – 26th at the Contemporary Arts Precinct in Collingwood!
