What happens when you leave behind a successful career and choose a completely different path?

In this episode of 15 with Fosca, I sit down with Dutch ceramic artist Jacqueline Haberlinck, founder of JHA Porcelain, to talk about reinvention, craftsmanship, and the unexpected turns that shape a life.

Trained as a lawyer and once firmly rooted in the corporate world, Jacqueline eventually found herself drawn to the tactile, demanding, and deeply rewarding art of working with porcelain.

Our conversation explores the beauty and discipline of making things by hand, the lessons hidden in an unforgiving material, and the importance of slowing down in an increasingly digital world.

We also discuss her journey from Amsterdam to Florence, the community she has helped build through Female Artists in Florence, and the role that creativity can play in helping us find our place in the world.

Biography

Jacqueline Harberink was born in Enschede, The Netherlands.

Graduated in law in Amsterdam, she was enjoying her career as a lawyer when she realized she was missing an extra purpose in life. Always fascinated by the power of beauty in making people happy, she fell in love with porcelain and when she moved to Madrid she decided to follow a ceramic course at the Moncloa School of Ceramics. After a long reflection and many courses in Spain, Holland and Italy, she decided to follow her passion and dedicate herself full time to porcelain. When she moved to Florence, she founded JHA Porcelain.

She was selected to expose her collection at the prestigious Meesterlijk Design en Ambacht exhibition in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

In 2018 she was selected as one of the designers representing The Netherlands at the Masterly in Milan during Milan Design week, where her non-translucent chandelier was exposed for the first time followed by the Design Festival in London, the Design Week in Eindhoven and Design Language, during Milan Design Week in 2019.

In 2020 she was one of the founders of the FAF – Female Artists in Florence where she exposed permanently her artworks.

In April-June 2021 she did an artist-in-residency at Numeroventi in Florence where she had the chance to expose her artistic works inspired by the time spent at the residency together with other guest artists.

Rich of such a great experience, at the end of 2021 she decided to make the big step: opening her own atelier and shop at the Via Pandolfini 5r in Florence, close to the Santa Croce square where she is located today.Since 2022 JHA Porcelain is proud to be part of the prestigious Homo Faber Guide, an online platform dedicated to craftsmanship that allows you to discover artisans and their masterpieces.

Links

https://jhaporcelain.com/

https://www.instagram.com/_jhaporcelain_/