MY STORY
My name is Liesbet Mertens, the maker behind Studio Lera. I create ceramics from my garden studio in Schilde where I live with my husband and two kids.
‘Lera’ means clay in Swedish and is a nod to my deep connection with the Scandinavian way of living: as I like to spend as much time in nature as possible; share a deep passion for beautiful and pure design and love love love to make and enjoy good simple food with my close ones.
I discovered ceramics and clay when I was going trough a difficult and stressful period in my professional career as an Hr manager. Working with clay has helped me to relax and was extremely therapeutic, giving me a sense of grounding during a tough time. It has become a huge part of my life now and I can’t imagine a day when I don’t think about clay and creating...
My pieces are made both on the pottery wheel and by hand. I work with stoneware clay and everything is fired in my own kiln. Each one of my pieces is unique and has its own hand crafted character. I enjoy working with different textures and I’m constantly on a journey refining my techniques and developing my own style.
In my designs, I take inspiration in the joy of the little things in our every day lives. My ultimate wish is that my ceramics can contribute to sharing warm and cozy moments with our loved ones (that perfect coffee before you go, a long apero with many different canapés, dining together in a beautiful setting full of candles, ...)
 
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