The story
Naya Cliff is the artist behind Back Pond Pottery in Windsor, Maine. Her practice centers on hand-dug wild Maine clay, regional materials and a sustainability-minded approach to making. Her work includes functional earthenware, sculptural figures, planters and pieces inspired by landscape and wildlife. Back Pond Pottery honors the tradition of low-fire New England redware while exploring wood firing and rocket-kiln techniques. Following a year of mentorship with ceramic artist Lisa Orr, the studio developed a rocket-kiln practice using fallen branches and reclaimed waste wood to fire work at both high and low temperatures. Naya’s wider creative practice also includes painting. Her public Maine Crafts Association statement connects the landscapes around us with the emotional, cultural and spiritual landscapes within us. She participated in Farmington’s Art in the Garden in August 2025, contributing a wild-Maine-clay bowl to a raffle benefiting the Farmington Public Library.
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