CLAYLAT

CERAMICS BRAND IDENTITY

THE OLDEST TRADITION

Ceramics brand identity for Claylat, whose dinnerware, planters and sculptural pieces draw on the Cape landscape, with marks inspired by ancient cave symbols.

Client

CLAYLAT

Services

Brand identity · Logo design · Illustration · Art direction

Close-up of the Claylat mark stamped into the foot of a crackled dark ceramic bowl, resting on rough red stone
Close-up of the Claylat mark stamped into the foot of a crackled dark ceramic bowl, resting on rough red stone
Claylat wordmark above a short brand description on a cream background, with 'Ceramic Studio Cape' and 'Cape Town' below
Weathered orange sandstone pillars and a lichen-covered boulder under a blue sky in a rugged, dry landscape
Three landscape details: sandstone pillars under a blue sky, an orange lichen-flecked rock face, and dry leaves on lichen
Claylat symbol above the entry ‘Claylat (noun)’, defined as a children’s game played with clay balls and a flexible stick
Claylat colour palette of four swatches, Clay Red, Burnt Bark, Slip White and Warm Beige, laid over a dark rock texture
Claylat photo card of a moon over a rocky ridge, and a Claylat business card, both balanced on stones on red sand
Panorama of stacked, weathered sandstone formations and boulders under a blue sky with wispy cloud
Two ceramic pots balanced on a rock against a red wall: a dark crackled planter with a succulent on a cracked terracotta bowl
Claylat mark stamped on a crackled bowl's foot, beside a cracked terracotta bowl balanced on stones with dried flowers
Dark, bark-textured ceramic planter holding a small round succulent, balanced on smooth stones against a cream wall
Hands aiming a gas torch at a round white form on a studio workbench, with flames rising around it
Close-up of a cracked, ridged terracotta clay surface with a weathered crackle texture
A smoking mushroom-shaped ceramic sculpture, a dark crackled planter with a succulent, and a moon over a rocky ridge
Claylat business cards on a slab of stone: one with a repeating Claylat wordmark pattern, one with studio contact details
Dark crackled ceramic bowl on a stack of sandstone and dark rock, with white dried flowers, on red sand
Cracked terracotta bowl on a flat rock beside a rough grey planter with a spiky succulent on a mossy stone
Claylat letterhead on textured cream paper, shown balanced on rocks and lying on red card with dried flowers
Dark, crackle-textured ceramic bowl resting on a red-brown rock against a deep red background
Pale, dusty hands holding a kraft card printed with skull illustrations around a red circular Claylat mark

Ceramics brand identity for Claylat, rooted in the landscapes of the Western Cape

Claylat’s ceramics draw their inspiration from the raw beauty of the Eastern and Western Cape landscapes, translating it into a diverse range of dinnerware, planters and sculptural pieces that push past the conventional boundaries of ceramic craftsmanship.

Research: the Cederberg as a visual language

Claylat’s visual language has its roots in the rugged landscapes of the Western Cape, where rock formations, indigenous flora and fauna have a lasting appeal. The Cederberg, in particular, shows the sculpting forces of nature at work: a landscape marked by timeless imperfections. That imperfection is deliberate, and it is reflected in the art direction and photography.

Logo, ceramic marks and print inspired by ancient cave symbols

The Claylat logo and ceramic marks are minimal, drawing on the symbols found in ancient caves. The marks are printed on raw, recycled papers, and illustrations bring elements of fauna into the visual language to complete the identity.

For another brand identity, see my interior design branding for Laura Kay.

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