An interview with Onka Allmayer-Beck
The career of Viennese artist Onka Allmayer-Beck (b. 1979) is remarkable. She graduated from the renowned Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts London with a BA in womenswear fashion design in 2004. She then worked as a fashion designer specializing in shoe design for various designers in Milan until 2015, including Carol Christian Poell, Strenesse and Giorgio Armani. She now works as a freelance artist in Vienna, specializing in illustration and ceramics.
Between design and craft
Onka Allmayer-Beck operates at the intersection where contemporary design, craftsmanship and sculpture merge. Her creations are not purely decorative; she seeks to combine craftsmanship with design and to make playfulness and vibrancy socially acceptable again.
She is regarded as a refreshing voice in the Austrian and Central European scene, providing new impetus with color, form and the idea of function. In an art world that often draws strict boundaries between “art” and “craft,” Allmayer-Beck occupies the middle ground, deliberately crossing those boundaries.
“I enjoy working with restaurants.”
Her studio, tucked away in a courtyard in the heart of the 1st district, is a treasure trove of colorful objects. Here you’ll find petit four towers for sweets, table pieces that can be decorated with candles or flowers as desired, pink champagne bowls and Mono-Scoop ice cream cups. “I like to be surrounded by color,” says the charming ceramic artist. She has strong connections with Vienna’s restaurant scene. Allmayer-Beck generally does not take on commissioned work. The only exception is chefs. She works with them to develop tableware for the restaurant industry, from the Michelin-starred restaurant Mraz & Sohn in Vienna to the Restaurant Rote Wand am Arlberg and the legendary Rosi in Zurich. Working with chefs is an evolutionary process. They work together inch by inch until the finished product is ready.
An interview with Onka Allmayer-Beck
- From fashion design in Milan for Armani to becoming an independent ceramic artist in Vienna – what was the journey like?
Oh, you know – years spent working in fashion are like dog years. Intense. But also really good. That was the time when I was in Italy with my good friend Arthur Arbesser. There came a point when it was simply time to take a new path. I remember in 2013 I was in Asia working for Armani when the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI was broadcast. That gave me a little push. Nothing lasts forever. I was also a teacher for six years – and really enjoyed it. I learned pottery, especially the hand-building technique, in Russia in 2016. And now I am a full-time independent ceramic artist, free to do what I want.
- Who buys your creations?
Most of my clients find me through Instagram, word of mouth or press coverage. Among them are lots of collectors. You could say that I’m a product of Instagram. It’s amazing to see how people display my objects on there, the settings they place them in. And also, how they use them... so many have a great sense of style and above all, a lot of creativity. Take a look... (shows photos from @onxydizzyfingers). It’s wonderful to see how the new owners integrate my pieces into their lives! What fascinates me is the independent life these objects take on, and seeing what buyers do with them.
- What makes your ceramics unique?
Even though I do make objects, I also want to destigmatize the term ‘decoration’. My art is meant to be used. And I have an emotional connection to them; to me, they are little beings that I like. I’ve now created 400 larger individual pieces. They are containers. All the legs are tubes, so they’re hollow inside – otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible to fire them. Everything originates from a colorful palette, mostly in pastel shades, and has a slightly raw and organic feel to it.
- Which are your favorite creations?
That’s hard for me to say, I love them all. There are the candle buckets, as I call them. As is often the case with my work, the holes are important. When illuminated from within, these candle buckets shine like disco balls. The temple vases are also characteristic of me, as is the Mono-Scoop.
- Where do your ideas come from?
My inspiration always comes while I’m doing something, while I’m working. I also like to incorporate shapes that catch my eye in my surroundings or in everyday life out on the street.
- Is there something distinctly ‘Viennese’ about your art?
Yes, a little pinch of Viennese tongue-in-cheek humor, a wink of the eye. Sometimes my objects are like cheeky little street kids. Needless to say, Viennese aesthetics are incorporated into my art. I appreciate that craftsmanship is highly valued as such in Vienna.
- What is your connection to the Viennese restaurant scene?
I’m good friends with several chefs who appreciate my work and use it as well. Some of my pieces are used at Stefanie Herkner’s (Die Herknerin) and at Mraz & Sohn (did you know: star chef Lukas Mraz is the host of the video series Hungry for More by the Vienna Tourist Board), while Parvin Razavi (a highly decorated chef at restaurant &flora), has published a cookbook featuring my tableware. After all, my pieces are meant for the table. By the way, these chefs are the only ones who are allowed to make special requests from me. And we like to experiment together – for example, I’m not quite happy with these oyster shells here (shows me a prototype); I’ll keep working on them.
- Are you a foodie yourself?
Oh yes. Cooking, going out to restaurants – I love that. I also have a real weakness for sweets, like the chocolate mousse cake from Kurkonditorei Oberlaa with its glaze that looks as if it’s still liquid… I have a particular fondness for glazes. That cake glaze was actually the inspiration for my brown glaze. (laughs)
- Where can people see or buy your creations?
At the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, my coffee house is on permanent display in the MAK Design Lab. Created in 2021 as part of the Vienna Design Week, this ceramic piece consists of a base with a lid – when you lift off the upper part, it transforms into a coffeehouse. On Instagram, you’ll find some truly wonderful stagings of my objects by my customer – and, of course, the latest news from me. You can also purchase my creations in my webshop.
(Studio visit on October 2, 2025)
