Bonk Pottery X SJWhite Furniture - a collaboration of clay and craftsmanship
When Kelly Bonk of Bonk pottery and Stuart White of S.J White Furniture joined forces, their goal was simple yet ambitious: to merge the organic tactility of clay with the refined craftsmanship of timber. The result is a sculptural coffee table that feels both timeless and contemporary — three glossy ceramic spheres supporting a softly contoured wooden top. Each element speaks to balance and material harmony, where the warmth of wood meets the luminous sheen of glaze. It’s a piece that captures the essence of collaboration — where two distinct practices converge to create design that is as functional as it is poetic.
Unlikely Pairing
When ceramic artist Kelly Bonk and bespoke furniture maker Stuart White first crossed creative paths, neither expected a single conversation about materials to evolve into a full-fledged collaboration. What began as a shared curiosity — how the sculptural quality of ceramics might intersect with the precision of handcrafted furniture soon became an exploration of balance, form, and the dialogue between two tactile worlds.
The pair’s debut piece, a sculptural coffee table, captures that conversation perfectly. Three glossy ceramic spheres act as the table’s support, their smooth, reflective surfaces contrasting beautifully against the soft, organic lines of a hand-shaped timber top. The wood, pale and understated, seems to float above the anchored strength of the clay. The result is both grounded and ethereal — a piece that feels as at home in a gallery as it does in a living room.
“The beauty of collaboration lies in how it reshapes your process”
says Bonk. “Clay has an unpredictable nature — it moves, it shifts, it remembers the hand. Working alongside Stuart’s precision-driven practice brought a new sense of balance to my forms.”
White agrees.“Furniture-making is often about control — about working the material until it conforms to an idea. With ceramics, you’re constantly reminded that material has its own will. That was a refreshing challenge. ”
The result is a union of opposites: structure and spontaneity, gloss and grain, function and form. The table serves not just as a design statement, but as the cornerstone of a growing partnership between two distinct creative minds. Both artists share a respect for materials and a pursuit of timeless design that transcends trend — an aesthetic grounded in nsimplicity but charged with personality.
This collaboration is less about embellishment and more about essence — exploring how two materials, neach with its own history and temperament, can coexist in perfect tension. The result is furniture that feels sculptural yet grounded, contemporary yet enduring — objects that invite touch as much as they command attention.
Future Collection
For Bonk and White, this first coffee table marks the beginning of an ongoing creative partnership, one rooted in curiosity and a shared respect for form. Their vision extends beyond function — toward npieces that live at the intersection of craft, art, and design.
Find Kelly Bonk @bonkpottery and Stuart White @sjwhitefurniture
Sign Up for exclusive early access to pieces in this collection before they are made available for general sale.