A self-taught potter, who learned by volunteering at a community clay studio, and devouring their extensive library. Maaike has been selling her work since 2007, and is known for her bright and colourful surface decoration.
Maaike has an enduring interest in telling stories with clay, often treating each piece as a single panel comic. She finds it rewarding to combine intangible stories with clay–a literal down-to-earth medium. People develop intimate relationships with their favorite coffee mugs and cereal bowls. These everyday objects, used to sustain our bodies, become just as important as the stories we use to sustain our imaginations.
After completing a B.A. with a double Major in Linguistics and Medieval Studies, Maaike went on to obtain a Masters Degree in Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto. Maaike has exhibited extensively at the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Gallery, including two solo shows. She was selected for “Hot Mud: A National Survey of Contemporary Canadian Emerging Ceramists” in 2013, and the Oreshak International Festival of Arts and Craft in Bulgaria, 2016. She has received grants from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the NL Craft Council.
