German artist and designer Laura Welker creates hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind wax and ceramic sculptures, merging her diverse background in fashion, art and design. We visited Laura in her studio in Berlin, talking about her love of shoes and how she became the exceptional artist she is today.
Having started out in fashion as an alumni of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Welker moved to Berlin, where she founded her own brand before moving on to more experimental fields. „Fashion is just so complicated. It’s hard to create the best possible product while also making a living. You are so controlled by the industry and there’s so much waste.“
Pivoting out of fashion, Welker decided to work with ceramics, where she transformed her love of shoes into candleholders. „I think I have a bit of a shoe fetish. I love the smell of leather. I ride horses as well and you have the smell of leather there, you know, in the saddle, the boots and everything. I think this is were my fascination is coming from; so for me with shoes, everything really comes together.“
Her ’Hot Legs’ shoe candleholders were initially a present for her mother, whom after breaking her leg, was afraid she would never walk again. „I gave her the candleholders and told her, if the candle burns down, you’ll be able to walk again. And I believe that this created some kind of ritual for her and it really helped.“
Welker describes her design practice as a ritual experience as well. After the candles are made, Welker carves and dyes them by hand, giving each piece its individual shape and colour. „I dip them (candles) in different layers. It’s hard to control but that’s also the beautiful part. I sometimes have people asking me for exact replicas of this or that shape they have seen in my instagram or at Voo. But it’s not a series. Each piece is individual. This is their power.“
Photo: Sera Akyazici
Words: Marie Wez