By Lacy McKee
Many people see vases and mugs as simple household items. But for Doreen Jakob, owner of Durham-based Doora Ceramics, each piece tells a story.
By making one-of-a-kind, functional items that incorporate her clients’ material choices, such as lace, flowers or embroidery, Jakob turns cherished memories into beautiful objects that last a lifetime.
Although Jakob grew up in a family of artisans in Eastern Europe, her journey to owning a ceramics business started much later in life. After years of schooling and obtaining a PhD in sociology, Jakob discovered her true calling was to continue her family’s tradition of crafting.
“I went a very different route first, like a lot of immigrant kids do, before I realized that what I really wanted to do was to work really creatively with my hands and my mind, not just my mind,” she said.
Jakob makes every piece herself, but she was never alone on her journey to owning a business. She was able to turn her hobby into a professional career by working with local organizations, such as Claymakers in Durham which rents out studio space and kilns.
“I really could dive into it and kind of test the waters a little bit before making a huge investment of building my own studio,” Jakob said.
Another community she found that helped her along the way was the Durham Craft Market, where she first started selling her items in 2011. Selling at the market helped Jakob build the clientele she needed for larger events. This group of crafters along with the other communities she has cultivated through networking with local female business owners and within online circles of makers and consumers have been invaluable to Jakob.
“We do work predominantly by ourselves,” she said, “and so I think having other people around is really, really important for your growth as an artist [and] as a business.”
Doora Ceramics offers a wide range of products, from mugs, to earrings, to bowls and more, but there is more to Jakob’s pieces than spinning the clay. The personal elements in each commission are the true centerpiece of her crafts.
“The stories are the central part of what we do in the studio,” she said, “and it’s what really drives my inspiration.”
Working with sentimental objects can be an emotional task for Jakob. One of her most memorable pieces was a vase commissioned in memory of a 10-year-old who passed away due to COVID-19.
“There’s just been a lot of remembering going on recently, and so I think we’ve just gotten a little bit more of the sad moments too,” she said. “But that’s great if we’re able to turn those sad moments into joyful moments.”
As Jakob looks to the future of Doora Ceramics with excitement, she wants the appreciation and support of small businesses that occurred during the pandemic to continue to blossom.
“I would really like to see that enthusiasm for local products and local services to continue,” she said, “and if that happens, then I think we can really grow and make beautiful pieces that bring joy to everyone.”
You can find Doora Ceramics on Etsy and Instagram, or check out the Doora Ceramics website to learn more about custom commissions and in-person market dates.
