SAMPERE: A HANDCRAFTED SIGNATURE CERAMICS WORKSHOP IN THE EMPORDÀ
Sampere Ceramics is a local workshop founded by two brothers in 2015. Diego and Nacho Sampere intended to recover the old craft of handmade ceramics. Sampere's brand stands for tradition and avant-garde. Tradition comes from the long-established handcrafted techniques applied and avant-garde from the innovative designs and materials used in the creative process.
All the pieces are designed and produced in Sampere's local workshop in La Bisbal d'Empordà, a town with a long tradition of handmade ceramics.
Sampere's studio is in La Bisbal d'Empordà, located in Catalonia, and is the main town in the Baix Empordà region. Almost all the ceramic shops and workshops from the area are on the renowned Aigüeta Street, which holds a long tradition dating back to the 18th century.
From the genuine facade of Sampere's creative space, decorated with little yellow and green tiles engraved with floral patterns, one can easily perceive the contemporary style and distinctive flair in their designs even from the outside.
MEDITERRANEAN INSPIRATION
The artistic spirit of the brand takes inspiration from the landscapes, colors, and shapes found in the Mediterranean. Based on this sign of Sampere's identity, the glazes used in their pieces are named stone, earth, and sea. Stone grey, aqua green, and earthly ochre are the primary shades in their ceramic collections, in addition to off-white and neutral black.
Nacho and Diego, originally from Barcelona, are deeply connected to the sea and Mediterranean cuisine. For that reason, establishing Sampere Ceramics in the Empordà region emerged almost organically.
Handcraft, minimalism, elegance, and functionality perfectly blend into all their tableware pieces. A wide assortment of plates, bowls, trays, saucers, and cups in different sizes and earthy tones are the main elements of their timeless ceramic sets.
CREATIVE PROCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY
The creative process at Sampere Ceramics is tailor-made and handcrafted with a sustainable approach. Diego Sampere is the creative mind behind his own ceramics brand. He is always in constant ideation of new designs and innovative ways of working.
Between the design of a piece, which Diego ensures can take up to 200 hours of work, and the last baking glaze in the kiln at a temperature of 1,260ºC, there is a time-honored artisan production process resulting in unique and highly resistant pieces made with high-quality stoneware.
The vitrified surfaces and the matte finish of Sampere's Ceramics tableware are some of the singular aspects that differentiate the personal character of the brand from traditional ceramics manufacturers.
Besides tableware pieces, one of their most iconic projects is Gaia, designed to meet the needs of plant and gardening lovers. The Gaia collection consists of a vertical urban garden and a self-watering pot made of red clay and recycled glass from wine bottles as primary materials. With a focus on sustainability in all their designs, Sampere developed the Gaia selection for people to enjoy growing plants at home in reduced spaces and without wasting water.
SAMPERE'S WORKSHOP
Sampere's Ceramics shop and workshop share the same space in Aigüeta Street 49. At the back, the working area, with a marked industrial style, is usually packed with plaster molds used to create some of their tableware designs. At the front, the showroom welcomes visitors with a stunning aqua-green color on the walls that resembles the Mediterranean landscapes in the Empordà.
Their designs leave the small studio in La Bisbal d'Empordà to take part in the daily lives of homes and restaurants from near and far. The two brothers, passionate about handmade ceramics and gastronomy, are proud to have their signature tableware in 50 Michelin-star restaurants worldwide.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY: SENSORY TRAVEL
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