Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Dana Harel came to California as a transfer student to study architecture, full of anticipation of what the future might hold for her. Yet after graduation and briefly working in the field, she decided that a pivot was in order. “I realized I needed something more expressive, less tied to rules and constraints,” Harel says. “That is when I began shifting toward art and design.”
It was a gradual transition from trained architect to artist for Harel. She began making items that she loved, without formal collections in mind. Eventually people started to take notice, and Harel knew that what she previously considered a personal endeavor could be a career.
Dana Harel \\\ Photo: Emily Poole
In 2020, Harel founded her San Francisco-based studio, White Dirt, where she produces limited-edition functional objects for everyday ritual, from vessels to furniture. She combines photography, drawing, painting, and sculpting techniques to create textural effects. No matter which material she chooses, she strives to capture the imperfect, in-between moments in form.
There’s also no limit to the ways Harel makes sure to remember ideas as they take shape in her mind. She jots concepts in notebooks and on scraps of paper, or even quickly doodles through the steam on the shower door.
The start of a project and its unlimited potential always energizes Harel. “The ideation phase, when things are loose and not fully defined, is my favorite,” she explains. “I love the state of openness before a piece becomes fixed.”
Today, Dana Harel joins us for Friday Five!
Photo: Dana Harel
1. Architecture in the Wild
On one of Norway’s scenic routes, where architects design interventions, monuments, and rest stops. This one, designed by Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor, caught my eye. The perfect geometry landed naturally on the rugged terrain. A quiet dialogue between precision and nature’s chaos.
Photo: Dana Harel
2. Hiking in Open and Vast Landscapes
I caught this moment of my daughter this summer, exhausted from a hike, resting and leaning into a rock, almost taking its shape. Hiking has become a part of our family life when we travel. It is our happy place. On the trail, we have time to talk, laugh, push through setbacks when it’s hard, and occasionally enjoy the rare quiet moments.
My kids and I love rocks. I’m a collector of rocks. I place them everywhere in my studio and home, they hold our memories.
Photo: Dana Harel
3. Coffee and a Book on a Rock
I’m not one who rests when I travel. I always bring books on vacation, but rarely touch them. But On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous pinned me down and held me in place. The raw writing gently shook something inside me. Reading it while traveling in Yosemite National Park, a piece of conserved land so protected and vast made it feel even more powerful.
Photo: Dana Harel
4. Food Break on My Dusty Table
Informal pauses around food keep my day colorful and even inspiring. I often end up eating on my dusty table when I’m not sharing a meal with my team. I look forward to these breaks. I enjoy the contrast between the vibrant food and the messy surface. Surprisingly, this little detail enhances the simple pleasures of eating and resting for a moment. Somehow this simple act of eating feels more alive, turning a small pause into its own kind of pleasure.
Photo: Dana Harel
5. Cookbooks as Art
I collect cookbooks mostly for inspiration rather than to follow recipes. Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics captivated me for its play on art and food. It’s less about cooking and more about seeing. A reminder that every act of living can be embedded with creative intention.
I am taken by the idea of art that can be devoured and experienced, as opposed to art that is kept on a pedestal.
Works by Dana Harel and White Dirt:
Photo: Nikki Gerdes
ATRIO
ATRIO is the second White Dirt collection, consisting of three different porcelain vases. Each piece translates plaster to porcelain on a larger scale.
Photo: Nikki Gerdes
ORA
Our first foray into lighting, the ORA collection consists of four different sculptural lights. They are created in small batches from white gypsum cement, muslin, and brass.
Photo: Nikki Gerdes
QUILT
As kids, we made caves and fortresses from quilts, with little gaps between the blankets to peek out at the world. That memory of softness – of light tucked inside fabric—has become a guiding thread in my latest work.
Photo: Emily Poole
OFFERING
Growing up, my grandmother had a Corinthian pillar made of wood on which she placed a giant bowl, always filled to the brim with lemons. Inspired by this warm memory, the collection is a series of side tables. Consisting of elevated surfaces and bowls, each piece is made to hold everyday objects as tributes and tokens of esteem.
Photo: Emily Poole
ORA V
Inspired by moments in film and fashion, this quiet fixture embraces the mystery and theatricality of draped fabric. ORA V is made of white gypsum cement, canvas, cotton rope, and a brass brooch and hardware
