A Day in Colour with Kemma

Our latest Days in Colour guest is Sydney-based ceramic artist, Emma Kaye – the creative force behind Kemma. Creating since 2021, each of Kemma’s works are inspired by the small moments of joy in life, designed to bring magic to the everyday.

We spent a day with Emma, learning about her creative process, sharing in her love of travel and discussing all things colour, design and morning cups of matcha.

How would you describe your work to someone who isn’t familiar with it?

I make functional ceramics and paintings that bring a sense of dreaminess, nostalgia, playfulness and joy into daily rituals. My work uses motifs, light and colour to tell stories about beauty, love and memories. I want my art to feel like a warm hug whenever anyone uses their Kemma ceramics or looks at a Kemma painting on their wall.

‘My work uses motifs, light and colour to tell stories about beauty, love and memories.’
- Emma

What drew you into the world of ceramic art and how did you develop your individual style?

I took every kind of art and ceramics class growing up, starting from before primary school. So, creating things with my hands has always been a massive part of my life. I don’t know myself without it.

My style is constantly evolving but I moved away from a more rigid and hyper-realistic artistic style during my time at law school, when I craved a sense of freedom and wonder in my work. All I wanted was a beautiful mug to sip tea from during my late study nights, so I decided to make one myself and everything blossomed from there!


Where do you find your inspiration?

I am deeply inspired by my own childhood memories, especially the old outfits my mum would dress me in while growing up – they were filled with hearts, flowers and colour. Feelings of home, comfort and coziness also inspire my work, where I aim to fuse beauty with functionality.

‘Creating things with my hands has always been a massive part of my life. I don’t know myself without it.’
- Emma

How important is colour in your work and personal life?

Colour brings my hand painted motifs to life – it imbues them with memory and potential, and makes the things I dream up in my head real. When I get to sit down and apply colour to a canvas or ceramic work, it’s like I am sitting down with that piece and having a conversation about what I’m feeling or remembering. It captures that very moment and preserves it forever.


What is your favourite (or most unexpected) way of using colour in your creations?

I love a deep red on a creamy clay background. I’m really drawn to the contrast between the natural and the playful.

What does a regular day look like for you?

My morning routine is very sacred to me and usually consists of a swim in the ocean, a matcha in my Kemma mug, journaling, spending time with loved ones, and making myself a nourishing breakfast.

Each day differs depending on what I’m working on, but I love spending time experimenting with clay to come up with new designs – whether that’s hand building or throwing on the wheel. The best days are when I don’t have a set plan in mind for what I am making, and I let the clay itself guide me into what it would like to become.

‘When I get to sit down and apply colour to a canvas or ceramic work, it’s like I am sitting down with that piece and having a conversation.’ - Emma

Do you have any favourite kikki.K products?

What do you love about them? I love my 365 Journal. The unlined pages allow me a moment to myself where I can reflect, dream up new designs and reconnect with myself during a quiet moment.


What are three things that brighten your world right now?

I like to fill my world with small moments of joy and colour: my morning matcha, spending time with loved ones (human and furry), taking time to create with no expectation, purely for myself and own happiness (it happens rarer than you’d think!).

If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?

I recently returned from a long-anticipated trip to Japan. It was a matcha and ceramic lover’s dream – the food, energy, and design there was all so inspiring. Now that I’m back, I’m excited to settle into Sydney studio life for a while and just appreciate being home.

To explore Emma’s creative world of ceramics, follow along at @__kemma

Days in Colour Vol. 2 photography by Alisha Gore, @alishagore