STEPHANIE YOUNG

WINTER 2025 STEPHANIE YOUNG Calmwater Designs Plaistow, N.H. calmwaterdesigns.com ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO, Stephanie Young was photographing an exhibition of pottery when she realized she preferred certain pieces over the others. She wondered, did they resonate because of their proportions? Studying the measurements of various pots, she discovered those she preferred followed the Golden Ratio. “It’s the beautiful geometry that’s used in the best architecture in the world, the best churches and mosques … and it’s inherent in nature.” Since then, she’s used that sacred geometry in every aspect of the porcelain vessels she creates, from the foot to the widest part of the body to the shoulder, neck, and rim. Vessels are thrown on a wheel and allowed to dry to a specific moisture content. After some contemplation, she sketches—freehand, without measurements—lightly on the surface. After a…