Meet Martina Martin, The Artist Behind Famous “Boobies Mugs”

You just can’t help but smile and be amazed by Martina Martin’s design. Martina offers something unique and different, transforming the simple clay into the extraordinary mugs that celebrate the beauty of the female body. Each cup is handmade and therefore unique. The perfect addition to a morning coffee routine, isn’t it? Today, we are speaking with Martina, the artist behind the pottery studio ‘Planina’, which introduced us to her creative process, and revealed the story behind her brand, and these gorgeous cups.

We love your work! Could you tell us more about yourself and your journey to the point where you are today?

Thanks. My name is Martina and i have „discovered“ clay about two years ago when i took pottery classes in order to take a little break from sitting in an office chair. With clay, it was literally a „love at first touch“ and I knew that i had to give it my full dedication. I first started making it in my apartment while still having my regular job, but after a few months I’ve decided to open a studio and started making pottery in larger quantities, had a couple of lovely collaborations with creative people like myself and started offering my products to concept stores. People have recognized my effort and love for ceramics and they really like products that i make. I still feel joy when customers get back to me with nice words or photos how they use my mug. I sometimes get tears of joy from that.

Why the name „Planina(Mountain in Croatian)“ Is there maybe a hidden story behind that title?

A lot of thing have changed in my life since when i started mountain climbing. Mountains have made me a better person, teached me to respect nature, its beauty, strength and unpredictability. Each free moment i have, i use to escape to mountains. Also, clay was formed by decaying rocks. And since i always make my packaging to be recyclable and sustainable, the name of the brand Planina really came naturally.  

Shape and design of your work is really unique. What inspires and motivates you?

Clay is my inspiration, when i’m sculpting cups, I’m totally calm and the shape i make is usually a reflection of my current mood and mindset. I love carved parts on my cups because they are done by hand and are a complete departure from simetry and norm driven industrial pottery.

„boobies“ cups are definitely our favorite and are totally „girl power“. Where did the idea come from?

Those cups with womens breasts came very spontaneously. The fascination with the beauty of woman’s body was already there, but it got on a whole different level when i started modeling sculptures of it. At first, i was making sculptures, but i realized that there was a bigger demand for usable objects or dishes, i came up with the idea of flower vases with breasts, and eventually i started making those cups. They initially became popular among my followers on Instagram, and over time they became quite sought after. And now, I’m in my studio every day surrounded with women’s breasts and I couldn’t be more happier. I love making these cups because they are very lovable, they carry a firm message about respecting a woman’s body and they celebrate beauty and naturalness. I strive to encourage and empower women to make them feel confident in their own body and celebrate imperfections.

I’m glad when my cups are the topic of conversation and i always wish for them to make someone smile and bring positive energy.

Biggest advantage is that each and every one of them is unique, as each woman, because i model them by hand using pinch technique, without usage of machines or molds. Cica cup is at the same time a work of art and a usable object and i think that’s something which attracts a lot of people. I use neutral colors, aesthetically pleasing that are very easily integrated into every home, because every cup needs to be usable and to bring warmth into the each living space.

Is there any material besides clay that you would like to work with?

Clay is currently still new to me and I still have a lot to learn so it will surely be the only material i use for years to come.

Do you have any new projects in mind?

I have a couple of new interesting projects and collaborations that i will present in the fall so i won’t reveal anything right now.

You can find the cups at  Planina Studio web site. Thank you Martina for this interview!