Studio Lucy McMillan
Bespoke, Handbuilt Tiles. Made in New Zealand.
OBERY is delighted to collaborate with Studio Lucy McMillan, a New Zealand-based ceramic artist creating sculptural, handbuilt tiles with a deep respect for material, process, and form.
Each tile is individually crafted from a layered clay slab—hand-rolled, inlaid, and shaped with intention. Made using locally sourced stoneware blends and hand-stained pigments, they are fired to vitrification at cone 6 (1220°C), resulting in strong, durable pieces with a timeless presence. Every tile is unrepeatable, bearing the imprint of the artist’s hand and an expressive, one-of-a-kind character.
Destined to endure, these tiles are designed not just for today’s interiors—but to be discovered again, generations from now.
A Practice Rooted in History and Alchemy
Artist and potter Lucy McMillan draws inspiration from agateware, a 17th-century technique known for its striated, marble-like patterns. Her work is defined by form, texture, and negative space, often evoking imagined histories and aged beauty.
For Lucy, working with clay is an act of connection—a conversation with the past through materials that carry memory.
I like thinking about clay as a material culture from the past. For me, sculpting things out of clay is in a really primitive sense, a way to hold history.
- Lucy McMillan
Meet the maker | Lucy McMillan
Artist and potter Lucy McMillan is inspired by agateware, a 17th century pottery process. It’s name refers to the marbleised and striated patterns of the semi-precious stones that it was emulating.
"My pieces are all handbuilt, either from slab or press moulds. After the clay has been hand rolled, I layer and sometimes whittle to create facets, collage, inlay or engrave when they are leather hard. Each piece shows my hand. I come to pottery through a painting practice so I focus a lot on developing my palette of clays and ways to create line. I use locally sourced stoneware clay that I hand stain and fire at cone 6 using my own handmade clear glazes.
I work across a range of applications. I make tableware, sculpture, furniture and tiles in my studio in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa NZ."
Explore Studio Lucy McMillan
Featured Project
Endean House by Jesse Oliver
Designer Jesse Oliver renovated one of the heritage Endeans apartments. He wanted the kitchen to have a unique sculptural element. He commissioned Studio Lucy McMillan to create a splash back to be playful against the black stained oak cabinetry.
