Danny Kaplan Has a Deep Appreciation for Patiently-Made Objects

June 12, 2023

Danny Kaplan Has a Deep Appreciation for Patiently-Made Objects

The ceramic artist fills his Brooklyn apartment with lots of light—and other items that set a mood

Brooklyn-based ceramic artist Danny Kaplan literally says he had "a light bulb moment" when he tried his hand at the art form eight years ago. He had dinner with a friend who was telling Kaplan about a pottery class. "I was working as a prop stylist and I was looking for a creative outlet. My friend showed me photos of the things they'd been making and all of a sudden I needed to find a ceramic class for myself," says Kaplan. "I signed up for an eight-week session and it very quickly became an obsession."

Kaplan was not concerned with beauty or aesthetics at the time—he was focused on the basics which he says "took quite a bit of time. I didn't think I would ever master all of the different techniques required for wheel throwing. It was actually very difficult to learn." The patience it took to hone his craft with clay paid off when, eventually, Kaplan felt ready to develop and explore his own taste. Instead of producing batches of small items like mugs and plates, he instead wanted to go deeper into his ceramics practice by making sculptures that lent themselves well as lamp bases. As it turns out, Kaplan has a way with patience: "I really liked that process of working on larger forms that allowed me to focus on one piece over a longer period of time. You wait for different stages of dryness. You assemble pieces that way. You can work on different aspects in stages."

Kaplan describes the interior aesthetic of his Williamsburg apartment in a way that could reflect his own art: pared down, clean, utilitarian, refined, and "not repeating too many of the same forms." The early 1900s red brick building that he lives in, which was a candy factory in a previous life, has retained a lot of the turn-of-century elements like dark wood planks across the ceilings and beams throughout the unit (which is a rare sight these days in the over-developed sections of the neighborhood). So, while Kaplan says it’s a rather big apartment, he hasn’t "wanted to overcrowd it with too many things. Just the pieces that mean a lot to me that I've carried through different stages of my life or that I’ve been able to finally invest in" — like a Noguchi coffee table with "a clean and elegant triangular glass top that nicely breaks up the different surfaces throughout the space."

Another important point of focus in Kaplan’s space is, of course, lighting. Kaplan has peppered his own apartment with table lamps, floor lamps, and overhead lights which he assures "can create really nice atmosphere." All of Kaplan’s lighting fixtures are sold with LED bulbs, which he also mentions have "come such a long way. They’re sustainable, adjustable, dimmable, and it makes a big difference." Similarly, Kaplan’s favorite home picks—like thoughtfully designed flatware, cashmere blankets, and scented candles from France—are inadvertently about setting a whole vibe, one that’s slower-paced, intentional, and minimal.