Australian ceramic artist Elise Eales, founder of Di Lunedi Ceramics, creates handcrafted pieces that celebrate the beauty of everyday rituals through a distinctly Mediterranean lens. Inspired by time spent living in Italy, her work blends traditional ceramic techniques with contemporary design, resulting in timeless objects that are as expressive as they are functional.
Working primarily with earthenware and terracotta, Elise hand-builds every piece using traditional maiolica techniques, hand-mixed engobes and Italian pigments. Her signature motifs, including playful faces, sardines and references to Mediterranean life, bring warmth, nostalgia and storytelling to every collection. Whether displayed as wall art or used around the table, her ceramics invite a slower, more intentional way of living.
In this interview, Elise shares the inspiration behind Di Lunedi Ceramics, how Italy continues to shape her creative practice, and why craftsmanship, memory and everyday ritual remain at the heart of her work.
Can you tell us about the story behind Di Lunedi and how your journey into ceramics
began?
I grew up in my father's pottery studio in South Australia, so clay has always felt like a first language - it’s texture and the particular beautiful mess of it. As an adult, returning to that world felt less like a decision and more like an inevitability. Di Lunedi began in 2020, inspired by Italian travels and a deep reverence for nostalgic aesthetics.
The name translates to Of Monday - a small nudge toward creating intention in an ordinary day. It's the idea that you don't need to wait for a special occasion to use something beautiful. That a favourite cup on a Tuesday morning is its own kind of ritual.
Your work feels deeply connected to Italy and Mediterranean living. How has travel shaped your artistic practice and aesthetic?
Travel offers endless inspiration. I feel most inspired when I have the opportunity to stand still and really notice the details - the things that might otherwise go unnoticed. I think the sense of history plays a part too, not in a centuries-old sense, but in the way details are valued and beauty is found in ordinary things. It's something I often notice throughout Italy and the Mediterranean: a deep connection between objects and the places they belong. That relationship between object and place is something I'm always chasing in my own work.
Your ceramics feel incredibly tactile and soulful. Can you walk us through your creative process from idea to finished piece?
Ceramics has a wonderful way of keeping you honest - it unfolds entirely on its own terms. Each stage, from hand building to drying to firing, asks for patience in a way that I've come to genuinely love rather than resist. Nothing can be rushed, which means the studio always has multiple pieces at varying stages all at once. Inspiration generally comes from simple things like an Italian Resturant sign or a street tile that has caught my eye. I like to play with textures, always searching for the perfect tinted slip that can give the impression of age and a life well lived. The borders are often where I start - there's something quite meditative about that process, working around the edge of a piece - and from there the central design tends to follow quite naturally. Pieces are glazed and put into the kiln for the final firing - where a certain kind of magic all of its own happens.
Can you share what was your inspiration for this collection with Kerrie-Ann Jones?
For this collection I wanted the pieces to feel lived with - that feeling of walking into a room full of history and art, where every object seems to tell a story and you can’t help but run your fingers across the rim of a plate. Pieces that invite your hand as much as your eye. There are small reference points to mid-century ceramics, particularly Picasso's studio work in Vallauris - that quality of a simple gesture making something feel completely alive - combined with my love of aged Italian patinas. Warm ochres, dusty terracottas, sage, and creamy whites.The feeling I was working toward was that these pieces could have always belonged in the room; as though they had quietly accumulated time, memory and use. Familiar, well-loved, and entirely at home.
What advice would you give someone wanting to start collecting handmade ceramic pieces for their home?
Buy what stops you. Not what matches, not what makes sense — what makes you pause. Handmade pieces carry something a manufactured object simply can't, a trace of the person who made it, the particular moment it came from. That quality doesn't diminish over time, it deepens. Start with something you'll use every day. A cup, a small bowl. Let it become part of your morning. You'll understand very quickly why people become devoted collectors.
What does a perfect creative day look like for you?
An early start, always. A coffee in my favourite cup, ideally sitting somewhere outside where I can watch the light change. Old art books stacked around me and time to jot down any fleeting ideas. If I’m in Ischia a morning swim of course before settling into the studio and allowing myself to lose track of time somewhere between hand-building and painting.
What are you currently exploring or experimenting with creatively?
Particular finishes and surfaces are a constant area of exploration for me—especially those that feel as though they’ve accumulated time and character rather than simply been applied. I’m interested in materials that carry a sense of history, patina, and tactility. At the moment, I’ve also been investigating handmade tiles and the many ways they can be integrated into design, not only in interiors and architecture, but also in furniture, lighting, and object-making.
What do you hope people feel when they discover a Di Lunedi piece for the first time?
That particular feeling of something catching your breath slightly. Not a dramatic response - more the quiet version, where you find yourself reaching out to touch something before you've consciously decided to. I want the pieces to carry a sense of place and memory, whether it's somewhere you've actually been or somewhere that only exists in the imagination. Ultimately, I hope they evoke a feeling of familiarity and curiosity at the same time - something that feels both discovered and remembered.
Finally, what does "home" mean to you?
A feeling more than a place. That moment of exhaling when you walk through the door… and can be still. For me its the ability to be fully present in a space rather than simply moving through it. I think objects can also carry that feeling of home. I take my hand-painted cup with me wherever I go, and the familiar weight of it in my hands has become a quiet ritual - a small anchor that connects me to place, wherever I happen to be.
SHOP THE COLLECTION
Di Lunedi Ceramics is a celebration of craftsmanship, culture and the quiet beauty of everyday life. Through her thoughtful approach to hand-building, traditional techniques and storytelling, Elise Eales creates ceramics that feel both timeless and deeply personal.
Her work reflects a genuine appreciation for the rituals that connect us, whether gathering around a table, displaying meaningful objects in the home or collecting handmade pieces that carry a sense of history and place. Each ceramic is designed to be lived with, bringing warmth, character and a distinctly Mediterranean spirit into contemporary interiors.
At Kerrie-Ann Jones Gallery, we're proud to represent Di Lunedi Ceramics and share Elise's latest handcrafted collections with collectors, interior designers and lovers of handmade design. Explore the newest pieces online HERE or visit our Sydney showroom to experience their beautiful textures and craftsmanship in person.
FAQ: DI LUNENDI
Who is Elise Eales?
Elise Eales is an Australian ceramic artist and the founder of Di Lunedi. Based in Australia, her work is inspired by Italian culture, craftsmanship and the rituals of everyday life. She creates handcrafted ceramics that balance function, storytelling and contemporary design.
What is Di Lunedi Ceramics?
Di Lunedi is the ceramic studio founded by Australian artist Elise Eales in 2020. The studio produces hand-built ceramics inspired by time spent living in Italy, celebrating Mediterranean aesthetics, traditional craftsmanship and the beauty of everyday rituals.
What materials does Elise Eales use?
Elise works primarily with earthenware and terracotta, creating each piece by hand. She incorporates traditional maiolica techniques, hand-mixed engobes and Italian pigments to achieve the rich colours and distinctive finishes that define her work.
What are the signature motifs in Di Lunedi Ceramics?
Di Lunedi Ceramics is known for its playful hand-painted imagery, including expressive faces, sardines and Mediterranean-inspired motifs. These recurring elements reflect themes of culture, nostalgia, storytelling and everyday life.
Are Di Lunedi Ceramics functional?
Yes. While each ceramic is created as a work of art, many pieces are designed to be used and enjoyed every day. Whether displayed on a wall, styled on open shelving or used at the table, Di Lunedi Ceramics celebrates the connection between beauty and function.
Where can I buy Di Lunedi Ceramics?
Di Lunedi Ceramics are available through Kerrie-Ann Jones Gallery. As each piece is handmade and produced in limited quantities, availability changes regularly. Browse the latest collection online HERE or visit our Sydney gallery to view selected works in person.
Are Di Lunedi Ceramics handmade?
Yes. Every piece is individually hand-built by Elise Eales using traditional ceramic techniques. The handmade nature of the work means no two pieces are exactly alike, making each ceramic unique.
What makes Di Lunedi Ceramics unique?
Di Lunedi Ceramics combines traditional Italian ceramic techniques with a contemporary Australian perspective. Through handcrafted processes, expressive hand-painted motifs and a strong connection to culture and memory, Elise Eales creates pieces that are both functional objects and lasting works of art.
