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FEATURE FRIDAY | ENTO CERAMICS What happens when a professional entomologist becomes a ceramic artist? In the case of Tanza Crouch, the answer is Ento Ceramics — a beautiful meeting of science, art and a lifelong fascination with the natural world. Tanza established Ento Ceramics in 2003, and for more than two decades she has been bringing South African wildlife, insects and indigenous flora into the things we use every day. Working from her studio in Kloof with her long-time studio assistant Nomanesi Mboyisa, each design is individually arranged by hand rather than mass produced. But there is much more to Tanza than her ceramics, so this week we asked her about the person behind the business, her inspiration, her love of nature and what keeps her creating after 23 years. 1. Let's start at the beginning — who is Tanza Crouch when she's not behind Ento Ceramics? A passionate lover of dogs, horses, plants, small creatures and vast wide open spaces. When I am not making crockery I am volunteering for Angel Paws Therapy Dogs, riding my horse and scruffling about in undergrowth to watch the lives and habits of small creatures. 2. You have a background as a professional entomologist as well as being an artist. How did those two worlds come together to create Ento Ceramics? Science and art are not an uncommon mix of interests. Science seeks to interpret the world through word (and rigorous scientific methods) and art does it through imagery. 3. Ento Ceramics has been around since 2003. What has kept you passionate about it for so long? My love for the natural world is simply who I am. Passions are passions and as Ralph Emerson said “it seizes a person whole and once it has done so, he/she will have to accept that his life will be radically changed.” 4. Your designs celebrate everything from insects and birds to indigenous flowers and South African wildlife. What is it about nature that continues to inspire you? The fabulously innovative way the natural world is so well adapted to survival. 5. Is there a particular Ento design that has a special story or meaning behind it for you? The Carpenter Bee design is one of the earliest designs and remains the most popular design that I have done. It is bumblebee-like in appearance (we have no true bumblebees in Sub Saharan Africa) and the design seems to represent everything that is good about bees and their relatives. Simple and bold in its colouring. 6. Your pieces are individually arranged rather than mass produced, so no two pieces are exactly alike. Why is that individuality important to you? I like that there is something unexpected about the end product. We are all alike but somehow different. I would go mad making things all the same! 7. What does a typical day in the Ento studio actually look like? A few hours of admin, stock management, planning and replying to emails/orders followed by production. Nomanesi is my studio assistant of 20 years and is a wonderful help. The kiln is packed and firing happens at night. Customers pop by in the afternoons and because I am self-employed I can fit in a dog walk, a ride or a run whenever the schedule can accommodate it. I am the HR, PR and manager of the business… aka the boss, so I make the rules. 8. You've been part of the Shongweni Market community for some time. What does being at the Market mean to you and to Ento Ceramics? Shongweni has been, and still is, an integral part of my sales. The community of traders is a wonderful mix of humans who are all at once friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances. It is a rather unique working environment. The diversity of souls is fabulous! 9. After more than two decades of Ento Ceramics, is there something you're still hoping to create, explore or achieve? I am always chasing the elusive “ultimate design”. What makes people love an image and how can I influence their perception of it? I always want people to think a little more differently about the natural world; to be more engaged. Crockery but also fabric remain media of choice. 10. And finally, if someone is discovering Ento Ceramics for the first time this Friday at Shongweni Market, what would you love them to notice when they visit your stall? That our products are quality, and our designs wild and quirky, neat and relatable, floral and faunal… we offer something for everybody looking for a bit of wildlife in their daily use. There is something wonderfully fitting about having Ento Ceramics at Shongweni Market. Tanza's work encourages us to slow down, notice the small things and appreciate the incredible natural world around us — whether that's a tiny insect, an indigenous flower or one of South Africa's iconic animals. Next time you're at the Market, take a closer look at Ento Ceramics, stand I09. You never know what might catch your eye. 🌿