Agape Vessel

Made by Vermont ceramic artist: Rory Pots

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About the Artist: 

Rory Shamlian is the creator behind Rory Pots, the Burlington, Vermont based ceramic lighting and design business that has been growing into itself for the last few years. Following a long period of practice in ceramic arts and skilled trades, she started Rory Pots in 2019 after completing a women’s small-business course through Mercy Connections, though her relationship with pottery began long before. It started as a source of grounding during the deep winters of Vermont and quickly became an all-consuming study of design and craft when she realized the natural connection she had with the medium. After working with the Burlington City Arts studio as a ceramic studio assistant, she went on to apprentice with established production potter, Jeremy Ayers and after years of independent study, and a lot of grit, Rory Pots was born.

Rory’s ceramic lighting and object designs are heavily influenced by her time working as a vintage lighting technician at the Lamp Shop in Burlington, VT. While working there, lamps from every era came across the work bench to get refurbished, inspiration was abound. From mid century modern, Scandinavian, danish modern, Japandi, and minimalist designs, to art deco and dynamic sixties colorways - there was endless creative nourishment for a a hungry new designer finding her way.

Rory learned to pay attention to the nuances while repairing and rewiring vintage and modern light fixtures and lamps, and designing and building new lamps from unique vintage pieces and parts. These new skills increasingly built interest in both the beauty and challenge of working with larger scale and more intricate pieces based in interior lighting design. And thus, as Rory developed her business as a ceramic artist, she knew these two sets of skills were meant to coincide. Through these intersections she developed a passion for designing, creating, and wiring ceramic lighting - from table lamps, to pendants and sconces, to chandeliers.

As a trained lighting technician she is able to apply her knowledge of the the ins and outs of electrical components to her handmade ceramic lighting to make lighting pieces repair friendly and thus fashioned to last for generations.

Rory takes great pleasure in working one on one with clients in their homes or business spaces, designing custom work with the client's vision in mind. The process of collaboration with the customer makes for some of the most unique work at Rory Pots.

Rory’s handmade, wheel thrown, pottery, ceramic lighting, design objects, and kitchenware are now carried by stockists across North America and featured in major online home goods retailers like Food 52, Wescover, and SSENSE.