POEMI at Igloo: Honest Ceramics, from Sibiu to the whole country

In July 2024, igloo magazine published a profile on the POEMI workshop in Sibiu, written by Anca Rotar. The article traces the history of Alexandru and Florin Popescu's, from the first experiments with clay, made without any prior experience, to a ceramic brand present today in restaurants across the country.

For us, appearing in igloo meant a confirmation that the chosen direction—a minimalist aesthetic with traditional Romanian influences and constant attention to the quality of materials—is seen and appreciated by the design and architecture community. The founders do not have a background in the field: they learned through research and continuous practice, and the article captures precisely this mix of courage and patience that forms the basis of the Sibiu workshop.

An excerpt from the interview describes the learning process behind the brand:

„We don't have degrees in any of these fields (ceramics, gastronomy, architecture, interior design); it has been and continues to be a continuous process of documentation and learning,” explained Alexandra and Florin Popescu, quoted by igloo.

Another excerpt from the article talks about care for the environment in the production process:

„We avoid the use of plastic as much as possible in the packaging process, and we recycle all ceramic waste and glazes from the production process […]”, the article states.

These two ideas, continuous learning and responsibility towards resources, remain part of how we work today in the Sibiu workshop. We are not looking for mass production, but for objects made with care, that withstand the test of time and have a story behind them: from raw clay, through the wheel and the two firings, to the table in your kitchen.

The article on igloo confirms, from an outside perspective, exactly what we want to convey through every POEMI piece: honesty in materials, forms, and the creative process—without making compromises just to follow the latest trend.

Read the full article on igloo.ro