Words by Jennine Jacob
Photos by Simone Anne
The thing you notice when you look at Brave Matter is how refined the work is. Precise forms, sharp edges, and out-of-this-world glazes. You would think that for a brand that is only two years old that it would feel a bit more junior. No. Brave Matter has an accumulated ceramics production knowledge of some master ceramicists. Founded by Christina Zamora who does the ceramics and product development and Cathy Lo who does the graphics and brand identity Brave Matter has over fourteen years experience working in ceramics.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, if you’re going to school for industrial design, chances are you’re being positioned to work in technology. For one student, such a path seemed unappealing. Christina Zamora spoke with the head of her department when she first heard of an opportunity to intern at a ceramics factory. That factory was Heath Ceramics.
Heath Ceramics had just changed hands from the Heath family to Cathy Baily and Robin Petravic in 2004. They were both industrial designers and looked for talent with an industrial design background over someone with a ceramics background. When they saw Zamora’s work in glass they hired her as an intern because there is a lot of crossover between ceramic and glass production. She stayed for nine years, ultimately becoming the Design Manager.