Deviation

Extending ceramics craftsmanship through digital fabrication

As digital fabrication becomes increasingly integrated into ceramic practice, the relationship between technology and traditional craftsmanship continues to evolve. Deviation explores how ceramic 3D printing can reinterpret the layer-by-layer logic of traditional coil building to develop a contemporary ceramic language. By combining digitally printed structures with hand-building techniques, it investigates new possibilities for collaboration between human and machine while preserving the material sensitivity and embodied knowledge of traditional craft. Adopting a practice-led methodology, the project uses iterative prototyping, digital modelling, material experimentation, and autoethnographic reflection to inform design development. The outcome is a series of functional ceramic objects that integrate digital fabrication with handcraft, inspired by the form of the ancient Chinese dou vessel. Through these hybrid forms, the project proposes digital fabrication as an extension of, rather than a replacement for, traditional craftsmanship, expanding the expressive possibilities of contemporary ceramics.