About — Lepus Studios

Lepus Studios

Lepus Studios, owned and operated by Tesha Karpoff, is a ceramics studio that combines simple geometric shapes with fine details designed with both functionality and aesthetics in mind.

Coming from a background in Fine Art, concept and process are integral to Tesha’s work. By using a variety of methods to create the form - from throwing and handbuilding, to slip-casting - as well as various finishing techniques using rich pigments or precious metals, uniformity as the end goal is negated by the artist’s hand.

Whether in stoneware and porcelain, each piece can stand alone or as part of a set.

Tesha Karpoff

Tesha, owner of Lepus Studios, grew up on both sides of the Cascades in Washington State, cracking rocks on the Wenatchee River and playing in the tidal pools of the Puget Sound. Her love of natural spaces began early and informs her work to this day. Her studio sits above the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River, surrounded by the foothills of Mount Baker.

Tesha picked up ceramics after finding a pottery wheel in the attic. Despite a degree in Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts she had never touched clay, and so began the process of teaching herself a new medium. A few years later and she is creating work that explores the traditions of ceramics, creating work that is both sensible and sentimental.

When she’s not in the studio you’ll likely find her outside, galloping through hay fields or wandering about the river and the mountains. She is often accompanied by her rescue pug, Moby.

Why the name Lepus?

A humble animal, deceptively fast, and elusive, the hare echos the complexity and natural simplicity of Lepus Studios pieces. The stars within the constellation Lepus reside in the night sky at the feet of the warrior, Orion, and can only be seen with difficulty in the Northern Hemisphere. Stars, distant sparks that appear as mere specks to human eyes, hold depth, reality, and substance, just as the simple form of pottery can hold memory and meaning.