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Story of Boya
Hello, my name is Bojana.
I handcraft porcelain tableware. It's been a twenty-year-long journey behind that. The art of ceramics caught me as a student of Chinese language and literature in 2000. I discovered the Far East's minimalist ideal of beauty, contrasts, and harmony of firmness and fragility. This proved to be the perfect introduction to porcelain. Those values are still leitmotifs of Boya.
With a lot of enthusiasm, I moved to China in 2005. Besides calligraphy classes, which I had the chance to take with a great and renowned teacher, I was pretty much disappointed. The old was rapidly making room for the new ambitious, materialistic, and technically advanced society— a fast-paced, money-oriented environment with low interest in culture. Nothing new to say. Istill see that this great country can rediscover itself. A good thing is the skills acquired in those classes I use today when applying golden motifs.
After a year, I returned home, did the most monotonous job in a large retail chain, and then spent five years as a language instructor. One thing that kept me through was the seductive and meditative atmosphere of a pottery studio.
In early 2012, I felt ready to start something new. The brand name I started with was Re:Art: Concept. I wanted to make a minimalistic design functional in different situations. I hoped to inspire people to learn about porcelain and the values it harbors, which I find much needed in modern times. That is also when I met my soon-to-be husband, Rade, who encouraged and directed me towards building the brand. He is still an essential part of the team.
Rade worked in a TV production company when we met. He felt ready for a change in his career. The need to have our family business was growing strong, so we decided to join forces when our daughter was born. His task now is to let me focus on design and studio work.
In the summer of 2016, we were lucky enough to find a perfect space in a downtown Skadarlija district in Belgrade's old part for our first shop and studio. Our families helped us, Rade pushed me over the edge, and a new era started on September 1, 2016.
In October 2017, Re:Art changed its name to Boya Porcelain. We needed a new name that will reflect better what I do, my personal approach. Boya is the nickname my grandma Bosa used for me, and she was the one who introduced me to the small home rituals that involve porcelain. You'll find the collection named after her in the Shop section.
For generations, porcelain pieces have been kept for special occasions, only caring not to be broken. That is not fair!
Yes, it can be broken, but if not used with the joy of life, what is the point? Every occasion can be unique, and we should enjoy the delicacy and beauty of porcelain. If it gets broken, let's immediately sing, just like my grandma used to do. If we takechina without the fear of breaking it, butwith a presence at the momentand focus on our pleasure,it will most probably stay intact. That is how porcelain is teaching us a life celebrating philosophy.
How do I work?
All of my work is handmade. Besides the wheel used for cups and some bowls, our only tools are rolling pins, small hand tools, and bare hands. This approach should be the only one called handmade, I believe. Pieces shaped by bare hands and primitive tools one by one have the unique aura that comes from the touch and focus of an artisan. People can recognize it, and it definitely gives a new experience at the table.
I use porcelain clay bodies and pigments acquired from all over the world. Most of my pieces are made of porcelain from Limoges, France, while the stains and glazes are from my home town Belgrade, Hungary, Germany, Scotland, all the way to the USA. We recycle porcelain whenever possible. The whole Boya production is food safe.
The whole process is done in the house with no outsourcing from the moment a raw material enters the studio.
So, let me show you my work.