From Tech to Table: Danielle Chutinthranond’s Journey in Pottery

Danielle Chutinthranond, a former tech worker turned artisan, discovered her passion for pottery almost a decade ago at Chicago’s Lillstreet Art Center. This transformative experience marked the beginning of her journey into the art of ceramics, leading her to establish Monsoon Pottery in the vibrant West Town neighborhood. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and a deep-seated love for food and hospitality, Chutinthranond has immersed herself in the craft.

 “I’m a really curious person. I’m kind of a searcher. When I see a topic that’s so broad, there’s so many different areas to delve into. This is a whole universe that I became very interested in,” she said. As she dove into the craft, she found herself motivated to improve so she could bring ideas to life. “I had all of these fully-formed ideas about what I wanted to make and things I wanted to create for specific dishes.”

 Chutinthranond draws heavily on the past for inspiration, along with her passion for food and hospitality that started when she worked nearly every job at her parents’ high-end Thai restaurant in Central New York. “It cultivated a creative atmosphere for me,” she said. “They were always thinking about inventiveness, seasonality, and presentation.”

Lately, afternoons spent at Chicago’s Art Institute have been just as galvanizing, prompting her to dive into topics like the history of porcelain or celadon glazes. “Knowing the basic history of the material is what motivates me to be really intentional. For me, it’s just understanding and respecting where these traditions come from, then highlighting them.”

“People have been
doing this forever. It
just makes me feel
connected to human
history, like I’m participating and closing the
loop.”

 Chutinthranond also frequently works with chefs and creators around Chicago to design custom pieces for service, bringing a thoughtfulness and intention to each project she takes on. “I don’t have a sell sheet. That’s now how I work. I want to understand the space that they’re working in, and I want to respond to that. I want to create something that fits into that space specifically.”

As a result, Chutinthranond’s pieces are as distinctive as their inspirations. The set of Midwest seasonal vegetable plates created with chef Jason Vincent of Giant was featured on the hit series The Bear. An upcoming collaboration with the design shop Martha Mae (1727 W Grand Ave.) features delicate porcelain tea serviceware that is an homage to both Asian tea service and Martha Mae owner Jean Cate’s grandmother’s petal cup collection.

As Chutinthranond looks to the future of Monsoon, she hopes to incorporate more events into her calendar. “I want to continue to engage with this work, with this material, with these ideas. Hospitality is in my blood. I’m brainstorming about how to bring people together who share the same values of good food, tea, and art history.”

Chutinthranond’s latest project ties all of this together: Family Style is a series of smaller plates designed to be used for bites of family style dishes. “I just want to make a canvas for people to tell their family stories on these plates. There’s all these different expressions and the glazes will change seasonally, so if you can wait until you find the one that speaks more to your family’s food culture.”

 Inspired by family style food cultures, Chutinthranond wanted these dishes to be as dynamic as the meals they’ll carry. “The idea is to have a long meal. It’s not to load up your plate with everything all at once. We’re opening a bottle of wine. We’re gonna be grazing for a bit, and then we’re going to bring out more dishes. We’re gonna take our time and we’re gonna have a conversation and then we’re going celebrate being together.”

Shop the Petal Collection made in collaboration with Martha Mae and other collections at monsoonpottery.com.