Dark Bodies Pottery is a Black woman-owned Chicago-based small-batch operation. Founded in 2021 by Nicole Akoukou Thompson, Dark Bodies Pottery creates a variety of ornate, unique, and beautifully devised wheel-thrown ceramic wares. Adding luster, richness and color to the homes of recipients, the vessels crafted in the Dark Bodies Pottery studio are meant to be treasured, gifted, and inherited.

Color, shape and texture choices are intentional. As the name of the business suggests, the artist has always been drawn to darker bodies of clay and the use of dark glazes.

Each piece is unique and artist-touched, molded and carved by hand. This means, while there will be slight variations in color, size and shape, collections of works will be recognizable as such. Also, quality and character never suffer.

Expect charm, revelry, romance and joy from each piece. Inspiration is drawn from whimsy, travel, introspection, the robustness of family, Chicago, the love of all things gothic and bohemian, Ghanaian roots, and literature --specifically, the creative works of Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Nikki Giovanni, Zora Neal Hurston, Esmeralda Santiago, Ntozake Shange, and Zadie Smith.