With roots reaching back to 1880, Rookwood has long been a place where creative vision is honored, celebrated, and boldly pursued. The Artist Series continues that legacy by inviting artists from a range of disciplines to bring their own voice to the medium of ceramics. Whether hand-decorating existing forms or collaborating with our team to develop original work, these artists bring fresh perspectives that challenge tradition and expand what’s possible. Staying true to Rookwood’s longstanding belief in recognizing the individual maker, each piece is signed by the artist alongside our iconic flame—a symbol of shared creativity and enduring craftsmanship.
In that spirit, we’re proud to welcome Julia Lipovsky to this year’s Artist Series.
Julia Lipovsky is an artist and illustrator living and working in Cincinnati, Ohio. Born the youngest of seven children in a family of educators, Julia started drawing as a child and never stopped. She earned a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (2015) in fine art and creative writing before moving to Cincinnati, where she has made a life filled with creativity, collaboration, and connection.
Be among the first to experience the full collection at its debut show.
"There’s patience in the brushstroke and the careful layering of color, but there’s also patience in the overall trial and error of the process. Making something not knowing what it will look like for days.
It’s not unlike the garden, which inspires much of the work in this collection. You don’t plant the seed and harvest in the same day, just as you won’t drink from the cup that’s built today.
The process reminds me to focus on what needs tending in this moment, and to temporarily release the outcome that is yet unknown." — Julia Lipovsky
Reflections on the Artist Series with Julia
As someone who isn’t a potter by training, how has it felt to dive into clay and glaze? Has anything surprised you or shifted your creative approach?
Working in ceramics is a change of pace, literally slowing down the time between creation and completion. I typically work in the realms of drawing and illustration, where there’s an immediacy to the markmaking, an instant gratification of sorts.
It has been fun (and challenging) to release control and allow for chance to have a hand in the work. It feels more playful—even the anticipation of a fresh glaze firing feels childlike in its excitement.
Every time I’ve had the opportunity to translate my imagery through new materials and methods, I learn something new, push against a growth edge, and find myself maturing and evolving as an artist. This experience has been no different, and has given me valuable lessons in patience, collaboration, and relinquishing control.
You’ve mentioned that painting with glaze has required a lot of patience—can you share more about that? What does the pace or unpredictability of this process bring out in your work?
My style is rooted in a fluid line work with long, meandering marks. Using Rookwood’s glazes has been a learning curve, but also an immense privilege. Using this material, which is so different from the other tools in my toolbox, has inspired me to adapt, experiment, change course, and collaborate. Despite nearing the end of this series, I still feel very loose in my approach, constantly tinkering, finding the right balance between what I know and what else is possible.
There’s patience in the brushstroke and the careful layering of color, but there’s also patience in the overall trial and error of the process. Making something not knowing what it will look like for days. It’s not unlike the garden, which inspires much of the work in this collection. You don’t plant the seed and harvest in the same day, just as you won’t drink from the cup that’s built today.
The process reminds me to focus on what needs tending in this moment, and to temporarily release the outcome that is yet unknown.
This collection explores ritual and the celebration of day-to-day moments. Can you tell us more about that idea and how it’s showing up in the work? Are there particular rituals or moments that inspired you?
I’m inspired by pottery as a domestic object and the rituals of the home, often or traditionally performed by women. The difference between a ritual and a routine is intention. My hope is to create objects that remind their owner to connect to a divine, mysterious realm where they feel powerful, free, and invited to bring beauty and intention into their home—to slow down and delight in every day.
I focused primarily on serving dishes and vases because they both have an implied gesture. The platters suggest the sharing of a meal and the passing of plates, while the vases invite you outside to gather flowers and bring them into the home. Cut flowers are a gentle reminder that our time here is fleeting and to use it well and in good company.
Are there any things you really hope viewers take away from this collection—or even carry into their own lives? Whether it’s a feeling, a practice, or a shift in perspective, what do you hope stays with them?
My wish is for viewers to reflect on what is deeply rooted within them, soften and transform through the cycles of the seasons, and feel inspired to invite pleasure and connection in every corner of their life. I hope it makes you want to light a candle, take a bath, grow a garden, howl at the moon, and find yourself in every place you look—little treasures everywhere.
I’ll also note that depictions of flowers and women abound throughout art history, including Rookwood’s, though rarely is what’s celebrated painted by women. I’ve noticed, as I began to describe the collection, that men respond to the work as deep. I’m grateful, especially in this present moment, to add depth to what was previously seen as decoration. When we paint ourselves, we bring the richness and dimension of our experience into the form. I hope we go deep.