Meet Chaos Creates

Otherwise known as Kim Ferguson

We talked about how you started with your ceramic sculpting, now I would like you to take me and the reader to where you where when you decided to seriously consider ceramic as a business venture. 

I attended a liberal arts college which gave me some freedom to pursue art classes that were outside of my History major curriculum. My first voyage into sculpture was a wood sculpture course when I created a 5-foot tall wooden heel. That first experience of creating a three-dimensional piece from concept to completion was extremely therapeutic and pushed me to try a ceramics class. One class led me to declare an art minor. I had some success selling art pieces and earning awards in college but I never saw it as a valid career path. Four years passed before I considered it again. I got back into pottery in 2018 as a stress relief from the nine to five hustle. As more people asked to purchase my pieces I realized that I had a little business on my hands and launched my brand Khaos Creates in 2019. 

Walk me through how you cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, and/or machinery. 

I use various techniques in my creation process which can all seem a little chaotic to the untrained eye. I begin by shaping the clay using a pottery wheel or a slab roller machine. This creates the general shape and foundation of my design. The shape is then altered with hand-sculpting, heating and cooling, and carving using various metal or wooden tools. I have been known to use a hair clip or two in the past. The piece is then dried before it is placed in a kiln oven to be “fired” or cooked at a very high temperature over a few hours. The first firing alters the clay into stoneware that could outlive us all. Most of my decorative pieces are only fired once and then finished with hand-painting or spray enamel. My food-safe functional pieces, like plates and cups, are painted with glaze (metal compounds) and then fired a second time to create the glass-like exterior most of us know as ceramics. 

What is the most challenging part of selecting materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics? 

There are many stages in ceramics and at each stage, there is an opportunity for things to break, shrink, melt, burn, and otherwise be damaged. It is a part of the process that any ceramicist must accept. If you are good enough, you can find ways to save or transform a piece and give it a second life. I actually have a section in my shop called “Happy Accidents” for pieces that have been altered from their original design during the creative process. I like the challenge of working with so many variables. It means that each piece is truly unique. 

How often do you research craft trends, venues, and customer buying patterns in order to inspire designs and marketing strategies? Should more time be spent on research? 

I research market trends every day. I do this in my day job and so naturally doing research about buyer behavior for ceramics comes second nature. Whenever I design a piece I think about the type of person that it will speak to; I imagine the market that it will do the best in. As for inspiration, I associate with so many brilliant artists (painters, sculptors, even musicians) that we all share that energy and influence each other. I have many plans for marketing my work but my time is currently split between three career paths. My focus will shift in 2021 so that I can really grow KhaosCreates into the brand I know it can be. 

What have you done to improve your knowledge as a ceramic accessory designer? 

Trial by fire! I learn a lot from trying things out and making mistakes. I also do my own research and consult with others. Thankfully I have a good friend who also runs a ceramic jewelry business, so whenever I have wearable ceramic ideas I consult her. I also have an excellent mentor with years of experience who encourages and critiques my work to help me improve. 

Any challenges you face in that industry? if any, how have you overcome these challenges? 

The industry is challenging because there isn’t much exposure to handmade ceramics. People are familiar with the old version of pottery vases and porcelain knick-knacks in your grandmother’s cupboard. Contemporary ceramics is still fairly unknown to the average person and so there is an exposure and education issue. Synthetic clay artists pose a challenge too. There are types of synthetic clay that don’t require as many steps as ceramics and is cheaper material that gets mixed into our industry, making it difficult to educate and expose people to ceramics specifically. Finally, there are many corporations willing to easily knock off a handmade design instead of actually commissioning the artist. 

I tackle these challenges on my social media platform by sharing some insight on the process of ceramics. Short transformation videos have been the best tool to give a behind the scenes look at a piece that can then be purchased. I am also working on protecting specific designs of mine to help with knock-offs. 

Any success story in that field? And what was the lessons you learned from that success story? 

I think the most successful thing that any artist can say in 2020 is that they made a profit. I am grateful for that. I think I am still in the “work hard” phase of my success. There is still so much I want to do and so this year was all about laying a solid base for my brand. I learned that success doesn’t come without having a strong group of supportive people with you. 

What advice would you give to novice ceramic sculpture who would like to enter the accessory industry? 

Try everything once! There are so many methods to shape and create in ceramics that initially limiting yourself to one style or product will hurt your ability as an overall artist. Not all of your work will be great or understood or ever bought and that’s okay. Finally, don’t be too committed to an end product because clay has a way of becoming what it wants to on its own. 

Lastly, where do you see yourself in the next 3 years? and 5 years? 

Three years from now, I hope to be known mostly for fine art sculptural pieces. In five years, Khaos Creates commercial pieces should be available in limited quantities at retailers like Home Goods and Pottery Barn. 

Interviewed by Holmag.INC