If you ever find yourself in need of cute homeware to brighten up your space or make you smile, Malang Malang is a fun loving ceramics shop worth supporting. Melly Lym is the brains behind these charming and sweet ceramic pieces that range from colorful mini mirrors to funky formed vases. Each work is lovingly handmade with dainty dangling bead accents and youthful illustrations (expect the occasional Peppa Pig cameo).
Melly is currently living in Los Angeles, although she illustrates her heritage through her designs, which feature Korean wording and characters inspired from her childhood. Her love for playful ceramics that don’t take themselves too seriously is balanced by her sculptural skill which prioritizes form and functionality. Her style might seem naive at first glance, but beyond the wonky exteriors, her art is moulded and constructed with candid intentionality. Despite the delicacy of clay and the jingling accessories attached, each Malang Malang creation is a statement piece worth displaying in your home.
It is to no surprise that Melly’s nostalgic and whimsical artworks are met with roaring enthusiasm from her 13.9k followers, with her drops selling out immediately. Fans are enthused by the level of detail and care that goes into her work – hand-painting each print and ensuring they are glazed and fired to perfection. Through no small feat, complex quality objects such as functional stools are achievable due to Melly’s many years of expertise.
SHEESH! spoke with Melly Lym about the creative vision behind Malang Malang and the day-to-day experiences of a talented and independent boss lady.
Q: How did you get into the world of clay and ceramics?
MELLY: “I majored in ceramics and sculpture for my undergraduate program in college. However, the pieces I used to make are a lot different from what I’m making now. I was focused more on large scale sculptures and using my work as part of performance pieces. After graduation, I took different jobs here and there – teaching, gallery assisting, office work – and I realized I wasn’t happy at a workplace where I couldn’t be creative. I joined a ceramics studio near where I live to just make some little pieces for myself and my friends as a hobby on weekends and my days off and that’s how everything started! I ended up leaving my full time office job last year and have since been fully self employed!”
Q: How would you describe your artistic style? Where do you get the inspiration to make these clay works?
MELLY: “I would describe my art style as cute, funny, and nostalgic! I get inspiration from old toys (like polly pocket, tea sets, and dolls) I used to play with when I was younger, and funny bootleg things I find walking around in Chinatown and Koreatown in Los Angeles. Sometimes they have words that don’t make any sense and I love the humor in it.”
Q: I especially adore your hand painted and beaded mirrors. Could you describe what the process is like making your ceramic goods?
MELLY: “People who have experience working with clay will probably understand how long it takes to work with it. It takes about a day or two to create the shapes of the mirrors, and I usually have to slow dry the pieces on the shelf for about two weeks. It takes 12 hours to fire the mirrors in the kiln for the first firing. Takes me two days to paint the mirrors and another 8 hours to glaze fire them. Then I have to add the beads once the mirrors are cooled down. It’s a long process requiring a lot of patience! The crazy part is you never know what’s going to happen in a kiln. Sometimes I lose about 2-3 pieces in the firing because the pieces come out cracked or broken! When I first started ceramics, I was really attached to my pieces and used to cry if something I spent hours on came out broken. Over time, I’m slowly getting used to not being too attached to my pieces.”
Q: As everything is handmade by you, is it difficult to keep up with the demand?
MELLY: “In the beginning I struggled a little bit coming up with the best production schedule that worked for me and I was definitely OVERWHELMED. Now I divide the days up where Monday and Tuesday will be my building day, Friday is my firing day, and Saturday and Sunday are my painting days. With all the time I had because of Covid-19, it definitely made me think a lot about my ceramics and I was becoming a workaholic where I didn’t take a day off in weeks. I’m just starting to learn now that I need to take breaks for myself in order for me to come up with new ideas and not be too stressed about the work I love so much.”
Q: Where do you see Malang Malang going in the future? Will you be expanding and making different types of objects?
MELLY: “My big goal for the future is to have a bigger studio space where I can hold workshops for little kids and teens! One of my best childhood memories was when I was in summer camp just making arts and crafts. I’m always amazed by what young students are capable of and I want to provide them with as many opportunities to use their creative minds. I’m currently focusing on making bigger pieces such as my mirrors and vases to be more of one of a kind unique art objects. I also hope to build larger functional pieces such as tables and stools in the future.”
Make sure to support any future releases by following Malang Malang’s Instagram and checking the website for shop updates.
For more fun art pieces to spice up your life, check out Lex Pott Designs the Coolest Candles Ever.
