The Sylt potter

When Saskia Hylmar set off for New Zealand, on the other side of the world, ten years ago, she probably had no idea that she would one day settle on Sylt. And not just half-heartedly for a season, a quick dip into the island's life, a breath of North Sea air, a bit of a job, and then hit the road again. But for real.
A thirst for travel and wanderlust drove the Hameln native to the paradisiacal Raglan, where she lived for a few months, surfed, worked, and actually met the love of her life, Jan. A boy from Hörnum! And so, long story short, Saskia ended up on Sylt. Just in time for her baptism of fire at Pentecost. Without Jan at first, he was enjoying a few more months in New Zealand. With a little support along the lines of "I know someone who needs someone," Saskia quickly landed several jobs on the island, including in the restaurant industry, to initially boost her travel bankroll and finally settle down.

New Zealand played an important role for the Wahlhörn resident not only in matters of love. It was also where she laid the fine foundations for her current pottery. Although somewhat unknowingly and perhaps more as a supporting actor, she was still right in the thick of it. "There, I helped with the children's pottery class once a week and didn't actually handle the clay myself, but rather helped to cheer them up and give them a pee break. As a thank you, I was allowed to join the adults for a day and try out pottery on the wheel," Saskia recalls her first attempts. In her eyes, "not much came of it," but since then, her little desire to do pottery has grown ever stronger.

"Unfortunately, there were hardly any pottery courses offered in Germany in 2012, so I didn't see any clay for a long time," says Saskia. It wasn't until her partner, together with a school friend from Sylt, opened the Strænd restaurant in the Hörnum dunes in 2018 that she sensed her pottery opportunity again. "Crockery?" "Yeah, we'll make it ourselves, we'll manage," was Saskia's confident announcement, along with a friend. The creative duo promptly organized a pottery workshop and were ready to get started, but within 48 hours, they discovered that their attempt had failed and that they would have to order crockery after all. They were underestimating the craftsmanship involved in pottery with great optimism.

What's the art of pottery? "It's the calmness. You have to be patient; clay doesn't like to be rushed. It looks easy, and once you get the hang of it, it is. But you have to be patient in the beginning," Saskia now knows. A lot of patience is required until you hold the finished product—cup, plate, pot, or vase—in your hands. What many people don't know is that "ceramics are fired twice, but first need to dry for two weeks. Glazing is a whole science in itself."

Saskia learned the additional steps involved in pottery through many different courses. Things finally got going for her in 2022: from a birthday taster course in Hamburg to a five-day intensive course in Barcelona and a four-week educational trip to Tuscany. Things started clicking more and more, fun, and her passion ignited. "Turning on the potter's wheel has a lot to do with muscle memory, which means you have to practice, practice, practice." 

At one point, Saskia even inquired about apprenticeships in this profession, but these are rarely offered in Germany anymore. The number of active potters is generally declining nationwide. Which is a shame, because ceramics is one of the oldest professions in existence.

Pottery also has a long tradition on Sylt. This was helped along by the pottery workshop at Witthüs, which opened in the 50s. It was the first of its kind on the island and also the first tearoom on Sylt. Starting in the 70s, potters Till Bruttel and Regine Skoluda enriched Sylt's arts and crafts with their own ceramics studio. For example, it became a tradition to give a newborn Sylt child a handmade mug bearing their name. The style of the two artists was unmistakable and popular beyond the dikes.

Although Saskia still works full-time in Beach, but now she has a small workshop where she can experiment, create, and work with pottery. She no longer even has to transport her pieces to the mainland for firing, which was extremely costly. She spends at least three to four hours at a time in her room. The most important ingredient here is peace and quiet.

Before she begins, she makes a plan. Sometimes she throws something intuitively. Whatever she creates must first dry, then the piece is thrown again. This allows the shape to be adjusted and the excess stoneware clay removed. Then comes the drying time and glazing. "There are many steps, but they're worth it when you're excited like a small child opening a kiln after the glaze firing and are grateful when everything has remained intact and turned out exactly as you imagined," enthuses Sylt potter Saskia Hylmar.

The handmade works of Hylli K in Hörnum in Strand ConceptWherein Coco & James in Braderup and via Instagram. One of her popular pieces is the heart-shaped cup, which is ideal for tea, coffee, and heart-opening cacao ceremonies. Saskia will also be exhibiting her pottery at the Kampen Christmas market in the Kaamp-Hüs from December 6th to 8th.
Inquiries are also accepted via email: saskia.hylmar@web.de

Text: Julia Petersen