Alex Shemko, the creator behind Shemko Ceramics, is a functional potter based in qathet whose work reflects a life lived between Australia and the mountains and coast of British Columbia. Drawn to colour, texture, and experimentation, she creates pottery that is playful, functional, and constantly changing.
Working in both wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics, Alex makes one-of-a-kind pieces using techniques including sgraffito, coloured clay, underglaze painting, and layered glazing. Rather than sticking to one signature style, she enjoys exploring new clay bodies, finishes, forms, and processes, letting curiosity guide where the work goes next. As a result, she rarely creates the same collection twice.
Pottery entered Alex’s life while taking time away from her work as a paramedic and quickly became both a creative outlet and a way to slow down and decompress. What began as a weekend pottery workshop gift from her husband soon grew into a much bigger part of life after he built her first pottery wheel from recycled materials and a treadmill motor. That handmade wheel sparked the beginning of the pottery practice she continues to grow today from her home studio in qathet.
*Long steep driveway but there is parking and space to turn around.