OUT WEST STUDIO

When we asked him to get some shots of himself in his space, he was pictured busy working at the wheel in our Founders Artist Smock in Washed Black; clay worked into the fabric, sleeves rolled, doing exactly what it was built for. It felt at home there, not styled, not precious - just worn in and put to work, exactly how we had envisioned and imagined this piece would be worn.

Right now, he’s building towards a spring collection, introducing new forms like a stem vase and a fluted cup. Alongside it, a short film shot on 16mm in collaboration with Collected Film. Another thread from a previous life finding its way back in. Film and clay sitting side by side.

Out West Studio has really become more than just a ceramics practice,  it’s an outlet for all the creative threads that have followed him over the years. Architecture’s structure, design’s function, film’s storytelling. All working together rather than competing for space.

And while much of the making happens quietly, the studio itself is anything but closed off. The door’s open, other potters drop by, even students and people who are yet to become potters. Conversations happen between firings. People step in off the street and see the process for what it really is: imperfect, hands-on, alive.

There’s ambition there too. One day, he’d love to build a space entirely his own, a workshop at the back, café or bar out front, somewhere that brings people together around the work. But for now, Out West feels exactly where it needs to be: growing steadily, refining with every firing, rooted in community.

We can’t wait to see how Louis and Outwest Studio’s story unfolds.