We’re always up for a novel bit of glazing, and especially one that creatively utilises waste. But today’s feature deifnitely takes experimentation a little farther than we’re used to. With urine.

We’ve covered wee-based creations before (in brick form) and are well aware of its historical uses from leather tanning to medicine, but I think a urine glaze might still be a tough sell. But that doesn’t make it any less fascinating!

The project, by Sinae Kim Studio, seeks to challenge our negative perception of urine by highlighting just one of its many uses. Filled with water, ammonia, urea, and various minerals, urine is a ready made alternative to standard glazes, many of which use potentially poisonous metal oxides to achieve various visual effects.

As a provocative introduction to the idea of pee-coated ceramics, Sinae Kim created Urine Ware -a series of bladder-inspired vessels coated in the experimental glaze. Somewhat gruesome, but also surprisingly beautifully nuanced, they both confront the reality and subvert expectations.

About the glaze..

For those interested in the nitty gritty behind this unconventional medium 280 litres of human urine was collected for the glaze. This was gathered from five people over a course of five months and was later distilled through evaporation and filtered. The resulting substance is a dark paste that transforms the minerals into a curious finish when fired.

Sinae Kim is currently taking urine-glaze exploration even further, developing stunning colour palettes that will further challenge our perception of pee.

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, November 2021.