Two years ago, Andrea Copp felt like she was in the midst of some pretty big life turmoil. She was “navigating a period of profound personal change,” she says, including the sudden loss of her home and the aftermath of a shattering divorce.

“I was in the middle of being, in an unpleasant way, kicked out of my house, and I was feeling really—let’s just say—bullied,” says the Lions Bay-born artist. “I had a lot of loss; I know it’s not uncommon: your kids leave home, your mom [passes away], your husband… you know, different problems. I felt like, oh, I overcame stuff.”

Photo by Pooya Nabei

So perhaps it’s no surprise that our 2025 Maker of the Year finds a theme of resilience in both her work and life. As she found herself coming through the other side of it all, Copp held fast to the idea of impermanence and coming-of-age, with those themes reflected in the materials she selected for her creations. She’d long worked with clay, but as she approached her 50th birthday, she decided it was time to treat herself to some porcelain.

Celebratory Clay
During a huge turning point in her life, Copp treated herself to precious porcelain, which she used in Golden Hour (pictured). Photo by Jacob Brinth

“The porcelain was very creamy and buttery and beautiful. I remember feeling like, wow, I found my clay,” she says. She used the material to create Golden Hour, a light sculpture made from maple wood treated in shou sugi ban (a traditional Japanese method for preserving wood by charring its surface), porcelain forms and polished brass.

“A box of porcelain is around $100, compared to [other clay], which ranges around $30. So, it’s special,” she says. “It’s pretty precious and I felt like I earned it, because I did.”

READ MORE: Meet the 2024 WL Maker of the Year, BJB Woodshop

Created for Milan Design Week in 2023 for the Milanese art gallery Studio Rö, Golden Hour represents the mountains and reflective waters of Howe Sound—and, on a deeper level, tells a story of endurance through forest fires (the gnarled maple), resilience (porcelain “blackened by hardship”) and, ultimately, coming to life through light (beeswax candles illuminate the sculpture, reflecting off of high-shine polished brass).

“It’s about the end of the day, where you have a reflection of your day,” says Copp, “and you’re grateful for your life and whatever this day might have been.”

Cloud Never Dies by Andrea Copp. Photo by Alex Ballingall

Her work often explores the changing nature of life—and one’s ability to embrace both change and impermanence. Cloud Never Dies, for example, is an open-mouthed ceramic vessel incorporating sky blue and swirls of cloud-like white. The name of the piece adapts a quote from Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, which says, “Sooner or later, the cloud will change into rain or snow or ice. If you look deeply into the rain, you can see the cloud. The cloud is not lost; it is transformed into rain.”

And with embracing change also comes accepting imperfection, which Copp celebrates with another vase-like vessel that incorporates the use of kintsugi, in which gold lacquer is used to repair broken pottery.

Photo by Alex Ballingall

“I feel that we’re all cracked and we can be restored and renewed,” Copp explains of her decision to use the Japanese art form. “And I love gold. I like highlighting our flaws, recording imperfections, just getting real with stuff.”

Copp speaks as if she was simply born to create art, and the judges agree. “Andrea’s work demonstrates a profound process of introspection, of both self and place,” says Sumer Singh of Mercedes and Singh. “Each piece carries a rich narrative quality, coming from a deep personal memory.”

Time Capsule
“The Accental collec­tion feels so connected to a time and place in her life and to see the pieces photographed in this environment is so compelling,” writes judge David Keeler of Provide. Photo by Alex Ballingall
The Accental Collection, Photo. by Alex Ballingall

From Copp’s perspective, she’s just as much a part of the artwork as she creates it. “Whether it’s how I’m dressing the house or arranging flowers; whether it’s raising a family or preparing the food on the table, it’s all design and I’m in the art of it,” she says.

Breaking Open: Copp’s vessels have no shortage of yearning. Both The Lost Kiss (pictured) and Cloud Never Dies are open-mouthed vessels, as if waiting to be filled. Says Copp of the former: “One shoulder is a woman’s—it’s more soft and rounded—and one square because it’s a male, and it folds in a little bit like an embrace.” Photo by Pooya Nabei

Q&A: Andrea Copp on Design

What classic object is most in need of a redesign?

The doorknob. It’s a humble object we often overlook, yet we touch it every time we move from one space to another. Like putting on shoes, it’s a small ritual—a moment to pause. I think there’s room for a redesign that brings more awareness to that transition, inviting a bit of mindfulness into the everyday.

What are you listening to right now?

I’m eclectic, listening to everything, depending on if I have the space for lyrics: I move from Nils Frahm to Malcolm McLaren to Tom Misch and Zaho de Sagazan.

What’s on your nightstand right now?

The Daily Stoic, Stealing Dad, photo albums, sketchbook.

Favourite Western Canadian artist?

David Burns—for his honesty and his connection to place. There’s a freedom in the way he works, a playful expression that stays true to his voice and environment. He holds his truth and speaks from the heart, and that kind of integrity really matters to me.

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Kristi Alexandra

Kristi Alexandra

Kristi Alexandra is the managing editor, food and culture, at Canada Wide Media. She loves food, travel, film and wine (but most of all, writing about them for Vancouver Magazine, Western Living and BCBusiness). Send any food and culture-related pitches to her at [email protected].