Ae Ceramics are handmade by a small crew of people in the coastal village of
Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where the natural shapes of coastal life are transformed into dinnerware, functional art, and tabletop accessories.

Artist and designer Alison Evans lived and worked for several years in NYC. Wanting to be closer to family and focus on establishing her own studio, Alison moved to the quiet town of East Boothbay, Maine. With her studio just a few feet from the ocean, inspiration surrounded her. The natural forms of her environment – oyster and clam shells, barnacles, and sea urchins – became bowls, vases, and serving pieces. The allure lies in the essence of natural forms without duplication.

The timeless oyster series provides the foundations of Ae Ceramics. Although the series’ shape is inspired by nature, the shape provides a unique divergence from traditionally round dinnerware. Further enhancing her work, Alison developed glazes to mimic nature’s movement, grace, and individuality.

As Alison’s unique shapes and glazes gained popularity, Ae Ceramics grew from a single artist working out of a garage into a staff of five and a beautiful working studio and retail store. We encourage you to come visit our location to learn about our process and meet the makers.

our team

ALISON EVANS

Artist, Designer, Founder

Alison Evans was born in New York and lived in several eastern states before first attending Miss Porter’s School and then the American School in London. Her natural curiosity and exposure to many different places lead to an ongoing exploration of visual arts. After experimentation with different mediums, Alison focused on ceramics - she loved the challenge of turning her ideas into functional forms. She further developed her skills at Textura, a small artists' commune in Gijon, Spain, where she studied under celebrated ceramic artist Nino Caruso. Her success at Textura eventually led Alison to college at the Rhode Island School of Design and to the pursuit of ceramics as a career. In college Alison worked with ceramics to explore her ideas about the female figure. "I needed to challenge my own prejudices about the physical, social, and political constraints and freedoms of being a woman." Pushing the boundaries of ceramics, she used the medium to make large scale installations. After graduation from RISD, Alison worked in New York for admired artist Katy Schimert. Through Katy's mentoring Alison learned the foundations of discipline required to have a successful career as an artist.

After three years Alison left the city to be closer to family and focus on establishing her own studio. Settling in the quiet town of East Boothbay, Maine, she let the beautiful new surroundings inspire her. She approached functional ceramics combining her own aesthetics with the sophistication of the artists she assisted in New York. With her studio just a few feet from the ocean, Alison translated the natural forms of her environment into functional art.

Marriage brought Alison to Western Massachusetts for a few years, where she continued to develop her line. Her love for the ocean and Maine pulled her and her new family back to the coast. The wellspring of coastal life continues to inspire her as the natural forms and colors of the sea are part of daily life.