ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
BEAUTY
& UTILITY BY ALLISON KRIDLE
There are two types of shoppers: those who buy
products based on aesthetics and those who only
purchase useful goods. Most New Yorkers with
limited space probably relate to the latter. But
the best products are both aesthetically pleasing
and functional for everyday life. Take a richly hued
handmade bowl, for example. Thirty-two-year-old
Astorian potter Camille Beckles designs stunning
ceramics that will never go unused or untouched.
“My main goal is to make stuff
that is useful, and I love it
when people buy stuff
from me and they send me
pictures and say, ‘Look at
this plate that I’m eating
my dinner off of,’” Beckles
said. “My creations are not too delicate
and dainty that people are afraid to touch
it, but it’s still beautiful and it looks nice and
feels good and serves whatever purpose
that it has.”
Beckles was interested in ceramics for
six or seven years before she took her first
pottery class in 2015. Once she honed her
skills and artistic vision, she set up her website
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and business, Camille at the Wheel, in
September 2018 with the help of her fiancé,
who is a professional web designer.
“One of the pieces I’m most proud of is
a huge vase I made — it’s the biggest thing
I’ve ever made. It’s 13 or 14 inches tall and
it’s a really beautiful piece to look at,” she
said. “When I got it back I was so excited