Finding Beauty in Transformation
I’m an artist and designer who finds beauty in transformation. My work combines the softness of clay, the precision of design, and the emotions of real life. Through Punk Alchemy, I turn stories, memories, and feelings into handmade pieces filled with soul.
From Slovakia to Ireland
My name is Maja, and my creative path began as a teenager in Slovakia. I studied Fashion Design and spent my practice days in a small ceramic studio where I first fell in love with clay. After working in both ceramics and fashion, I began to feel the need for more creative freedom. That’s when I bought a small kiln, started my own small business, and began making ceramic jewellery.
Life for young artists in Slovakia wasn’t easy, so my husband and I decided to start a new life in Ireland. What was meant to be a short stay turned into a new life. Ireland’s kindness, freedom, and beauty inspired me deeply, and over time, it became home.
Reconnecting With Creativity
When we first came to Ireland, we were young and didn’t speak English. We worked in a restaurant, discovering a new culture and a different way of life. Later, when our daughter was born, I stayed at home with her for the first few years. In time, I began to miss being creative, so I decided to study again. I earned my BA degree in Interior Design at the Dublin Institute of Design and later worked as a CAD Technician in an engineering company. But I never stopped dreaming about creating with my own hands. Eventually, I built a small home studio — a space where I could reconnect with my creativity and shape my ideas into clay.
The Birth of Punk Alchemy
Punk Alchemy is where all my experiences meet — ceramics, design, and a deep love for handmade craft. My inspiration comes from the poetic charm of old Irish and English Victorian interiors — full of texture, story, and soul — contrasted with the minimalist, cold design I grew up with in post-communist Slovakia.
I’m also drawn to the atmosphere of Halloween — its mystery, its play between light and darkness, and the sense of transformation that comes with it. That mix of beauty and shadow inspires much of my work. Each piece I create carries a sense of change — a small act of alchemy turning everyday moments into something timeless.
Thank you for being part of this story — may you find a little piece of your own magic in my creations.