Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Ruiz.
Hi Laura, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story didn’t begin with clay…
It began behind a camera in New York City,
where I studied photography and learned to see the world through a different lens.
Light, silence, subtle gestures — everything could be extraordinary if seen with intention.
Later, I changed course and studied culinary arts.
There, I discovered the poetry of ingredients,
the quiet dance between fire and time,
and the beauty of presenting something simple with emotion and care.
But long before any of that,
my love for the kitchen was born at home —
beside my grandmother,
watching her create magic with her hands, without recipes.
She taught me that cooking is a way of loving,
of nurturing,
of building a place of comfort and memory.
Then came my children —
and with them, a new way of seeing the world:
slower, softer, more honest.
They reminded me that wonder lives in the small things,
in what we touch,
in what we share without rush.
And color… color has always lived in me.
My father is a painter.
I grew up surrounded by his vibrant works,
his fearless love for color and freedom.
Through him, I learned to see the world in layers —
to read emotion through texture,
movement through shape,
truth through imperfection.
Ceramics came into my life through a personal project,
but in clay I found a language.
A language where the eyes of a photographer,
the senses of a chef,
the memory of a grandmother,
the admiration of a daughter,
and the curiosity of a mother
all meet.
Every piece I create is born at that intersection.
Born from what’s imperfect, lived, intuitive, real.
From all that’s shaped me.
This is Imperfeito.
A way of seeing, of holding, of remembering
that what’s real is never perfect —
but always full of beauty.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Has it been a smooth road?
Not really — but that’s part of the beauty.
Growing as an artist in any medium is a long road,
because it means constantly learning, evolving, and unlearning.
For a long time, the biggest obstacles weren’t outside of me —
they were the quiet fears I carried inside:
Will I be good enough? Will I make money? Will anyone care?
But the moment you begin to let go of those fears —
when you stop asking for permission to be what you already are —
you begin to grow.
You start creating from a place of truth, not approval.
And from there… things flow.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a ceramic artist, a trained chef, a mother, and a forever explorer of textures, forms, and emotions.
I create small-batch, handmade ceramics — pieces that are meant to be touched, used, and lived with.
My work is deeply rooted in imperfection: asymmetry, organic lines, raw textures… the quiet honesty of things that aren’t trying to be flawless.
I’m most proud of the fact that my journey has not been linear — and that I’ve allowed myself to shift, to begin again, and to create from different places throughout my life. I studied photography in New York, became a chef, raised children, and eventually found clay as a language that could hold it all.
What sets me apart is not technique or polish — it’s presence.
Every piece I make is slow, emotional, and intuitive. It carries traces of my history, my family, and the way I see the world.
Imperfeito isn’t just a name — it’s a philosophy.
It reminds me (and hopefully others) that what’s real doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. In fact… that’s where the soul lives.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Honesty. Always.
Even if it means losing people.
Even if it makes things uncomfortable.
Being honest allows me to be fully myself — without hiding, without shrinking.
Honesty protects me from the weight of pretending.
It frees me from fear.
It brings me closer to the kind of life — and art — that feels true.
I believe that what’s real will stay.
And what leaves… wasn’t meant for me anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://imperfeitoLA.com
- Instagram: imper_feitoLA
