ABOUT CLARAVAL
SOUND
MADE
PERMANENT
Ceramics formed by sound recording and computational design. Each piece is unique — shaped by a specific place, voice, or moment in time
WHAT WE DO
Sound and meaning,
shaped in ceramic.
Every piece begins not with a recording, but with a question: what does this place mean? What does this voice carry? That interpretation — of landscape, of culture, of a specific human moment — is the creative foundation. The sound recording that follows is chosen because it expresses that meaning. The algorithm is then tuned to translate both sound and meaning into form.
The result is a ceramic object whose geometry is neither arbitrary nor purely mechanical. It is the physical residue of a considered creative act, made permanent in clay.
THE PROCESS
Five Stages.
01
Creative Interpretation
Every collection begins with a deep reading of its subject — a place, a voice, a story. What does it mean? What does it feel like? This interpretive work shapes everything that follows.
02
Sound Recording
A recording is made that captures the acoustic identity of the subject. Frequency, amplitude, texture — chosen because it carries the meaning established in step one.
03
A Custom Algorithm
The algorithm is tuned for each collection, so the resulting geometry reflects meaning — not just the mechanics of the sound. Interpretation is embedded in the code.
04
Design Development
The digital form is refined and adjusted , then the final prototype is produced. Our design team researches new glazes to reflect the spirit of the collection.
05
Ceramic Production
From the final prototype, traditional slip-casting molds are produced and the hand-crafted production process may begin.
THE ALGORITHM
Interpretation
embedded
in code.
The algorithm is not fixed. It is tuned for each collection so that the resulting geometry reflects the meaning of the work — not just the mechanics of the sound. The same recording through a different algorithm would produce a different piece.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Geometry made real
The digital form is refined and adjusted and once resolved, the final prototype is produced and assessed against the original intention.
Glazes for each collection are developed to reflect the spirit of its subject. The colour, texture, and finish are chosen in response to the specific quality of the place or voice the collection derives from. This research draws on ceramic chemistry and on the visual language of the source.
MADE IN PORTUGAL
Craft that is centuries deep.
Claraval is a joint venture between Perpetua Pereira & Almeida — a ceramics producer in Alcobaça with over 35 years of craft expertise — and Skopelab, the computational design studio behind the algorithm.
PPA brings the material knowledge: the clay, the kilns, the glaze chemistry, the hands. Skopelab brings the geometry. The brand exists because neither is sufficient alone.