Ramon Christie transforms the trophy business
Published:Friday | December 24, 2021 | 12:06 AMJudana Murphy/Gleaner Writer
In a bid to reduce the import of trophies to Jamaica, Ramon Christie entered the niche market of ceramic trophy making.
With the versatile and malleable clay as his material of choice, the trophies are one of his many interpretations of art from the earth.
A graduate of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts where he pursued a bachelor of fine arts in ceramics, the 27-year-old has been a practising potter for over five years.
“Clay is something that I love. I used to get beating for it when I was younger because I used to play in clay and get messy and come home. Years later, I fell in love with pottery after seeing a lecturer of mine working in the studio. I didn’t know that clay could be manipulated in that way, so I decided to experiment with the material,” he told The Gleaner.
He explained that the trophies will not only represent an award but will be a unique, collectible piece for the recipient.
In 2015, Christie was commissioned by Sagicor to make 45 trophies for its Sigma Corporate Run.
“I realised the possibility of doing something unusual and so I incorporated clay with other materials. There is a concept called multimedia ceramics where you use different materials to create a piece. A tree which is natural, clay comes from the earth which is also natural – you put the two together and that’s multimedia. I also use other materials such as glass and I infuse them within the firing, so it creates a crystalline effect,” he explained.
Christie’s business is registered as Euphoria Innovative Studios and his goal is for every customer who purchases his handiwork, or every person who receives an item from his collection as a gift, to be left in awe.
“My line of work focuses on functional and decorative pieces. Clay can take any form. It is a very responsive material, so I focus on getting different textures” he said, admitting that his work does not follow a theme, rather, he focuses on form.
Among the items he crafts are fragrance diffusers, bud vases, pots for planting succulents, functional platters for fruit displays and large vases.
From time to time, he hosts pottery design and construction workshops for beginners and, when he is not firing up beautiful pottery, Christie is engaged in video production and graphic design.
His pieces are mainly sold locally via direct purchase and through the National Gallery on a consignment agreement.
Smaller items range from $1,500 to $3,000; medium sizes are $9,000 to $12,000 and larger pieces range from $25,000 to $40,000.
He harbours dreams of becoming a full-time trophy maker, using local materials which will create long-lasting pieces.