Doriana Usai | Ceramicist

From the moment a pre-teen Kate Malone MBE set eyes on a ceramics studio, she was hooked. In the decades since, Kare has gone on to become one of Britain's most celebrated ceramicists, her influence and contribution going far beyond commercial ceramics. Along with her own studio practice, Kate has pushed the boundaries of clay and works on large-scale projects that explore how the material can serve the community.

In an area rich in history and folklore, Doriana Usai is the first woman in a family of turners who have been passing on the craft for generations. Her creations have the freedom of a technique learnt as a child, familiarising herself with the material with playfulness, but with constant and profound references to the tradition from which she comes.

Denim: a universally beloved, versatile material that tells a thousand stories and only becomes richer with time. From its humble origins in 17th century France - from workwear to couture, and now, Cabana covers - it's fair to say denim has come a long way. Its enduring popularity is testament to the craftspeople still weaving and dyeing these threads today, including world-leaders Kuruki, whose fine Japanese denims will soon grace the covers of Cabana Magazine Issue 23, in partnership with LVMH Métiers D'Art.

Born in Mallorca - where she currently works surrounded by the raw beauty of the southern countryside of the island - Adriana Meunié fabricates her works in natural fibres, such as wool, reed and esparto grass, using traditional techniques of loom weaving and canvas sewing. Her handmade pieces tell the story of the land and its ancient jobs, like shepherding and agriculture.

At some point, in beautiful city flats or imposing country villas, curious sculptures made of paper began to appear, placed next to antiques and other tasteful objects. These are the highly original creations of Anna Bonino, made from books that take on hypnotic shapes but remain readable, because no page is cut out.

Rebekah Miles works from a studio on her family’s avocado ranch where the mountains meet the sea in Carpinteria, California. Hailing from a creative family, Rebekah’s inspiration comes from the natural world around her, be it a book cover her 8-year-old daughter has brought home (Nancy Drew), or the passion fruit flowers that emerge come Springtime. Everything is seen through her unique prism and translated tenderly, by hand, onto clay vessels, platters, mugs, plates and even lamp bases.

Artist, sculptor and basket maker, Jonathan Kline creates works using splint basketry, crafted from the native Black Ash trees of Central New York, as the Indigenous Peoples have done for centuries.

New-York based ceramicist Anina Major has developed a 'clay recipe' that allows her to plait the material in the same manner that straw weavers would plait palms, a traditional method passed down through generations of enslaved people forcibly transported to the Bahamas from West Africa. Her artisanal skills, often realized on a vast scale, have caught the attention of the judges of the prestigious Loewe Craft Prize 2025, earning her a much-coveted spot on the shortlist.

Hudson Valley-based ceramicist Eve Kaplan resisted the inexorable pull of clay for many years, despite natural artistic talent and a strong family history (her mother was a potter). After a successful career in gilding and antique furniture restoration, she finally answered her calling and retrained in pottery. With major endorsements from galleries and leading designers - Michael S. Smith was one of her first clients - she is now a full-time ceramicist, and much in demand.

Gyokusendo is a 200-year-old company specialized in tsuiki, or hand-hammered copperware. Located in Tsubame city in Niigata Prefecture, a region where metalworking has been carried out since the Edo period, the workshop produces handsome kettles, tea wares, cups, coffee kettles and drippers, all made entirely by hand. The seventh representative of the founding family is now at its helm.

Lucía Echavarría founded Magnetic Midnight, her accessory brand as a way to approach Colombian crafts through a whimsical and contemporary aesthetic. After a decade, her query into traditional techniques demanded a change of scale: last year she presented her first furniture collection, Magnetic Midnight Maison, for which she put together different Colombian artisanal techniques to create unique pieces made by local communities. Lucía Echavarría has also designed an exclusive range of hand-woven home pieces in collaboration with Cabana.

Inspired by a dream in which she was visited by the Vodou Iwa (deity) Erzulie, Mireille Delismé found her voice manifested in the form of Drapo Vodou - bead and sequin embroidered flags that reflect their African, Indigenous and Catholic heritage. Her father, an oungan (Vodou priest), interpreted the message to be from the spirit of love. Represented in the Vodou tradition by a heart, Delismé used the symbol in her first hand-beaded drapo. These historic tapestries convey the iconography of evolving Haitian Vodou religious practices and are understood today as contemporary masterworks of Folk Art.