The most direct rejection I’ve experienced is related to the factory where I do most of my serial ceramic production. Everything was as we agreed, and I was already waiting for samples from them, but suddenly things started to drag on. Of course, the deadline was long overdue when the communication suddenly became suspicious. Not suspecting anything negative, I asked them to send a photo for final approval so we could put the series into production to speed up the process. And then, a message came that they couldn’t produce these plates. I was stunned because we had been developing this project for almost a year.

I asked them what the matter was, and they told me that such a design was unsuitable for their factory production, but they couldn’t tell me sooner, as I am too nice.  Later my factory contact visited me and explained that not everybody in the factory agreed about the design. The management was concerned that it might be disturbing for the women who were packing the plates. I don’t know if the problem was more that the series title was Eve & Adam because they are deeply Catholic, or the design, or all of it. It was all a massive blow to me. It took me another year to find another factory willing to make them. Contrary to the original factory, the craftsman in the new factory said my works are so inspiring and technically challenging that he wants to come to work every day because of them. But yes, my plates have irritated many. Even it can’t be posted on Instagram, as they remove it. 

What I have learned from this, however, is rather commercial or technical, that keeping all eggs in one basket is not good; I put myself in a vulnerable position by relying on just one factory. And also that “art” is not understood or respected the same way by everybody.