Annika Hoefs

Annika grew up near Waterdown, ON, where she was always encouraged to pursue her interest in art, which ranged from drawing to sewing and various other mediums. Her enthusiasm for clay began during her time studying Textile Design at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU). After graduating with a Bachelor of Material Art & Design, she moved away from textiles and followed her passion for clay, which led to the development of a functional ceramic line, the Chevron Collection, carried in several gallery shops in Toronto. She also took on opportunities to work as a studio technician and ceramic instructor at several different studios, schools and community centres in the GTA. She currently teaches at the Gardiner Museum, ClayArt Studios and the Mississauga Potters’ Guild where she is a studio member.

Annika aims to create functional ceramics that are pleasing visually as well as ergonomically. Her initial education in textiles helps to inform her design choices when it comes to elevating the surfaces of her work. Her forms feature smooth surfaces and sharp angles to create ideal spaces for patterns to evolve. She plays with positive and negative spaces and creates variation of texture by exposing areas of raw clay that pop against the contrasting glaze colours.