Drive an hour down Route 40 on Saturday Morning, and visit a North Carolina staple: the Durham Farmers Market. Walk past vendors selling scarves, soaps, and food- and you'll find one person selling something a little different.
"Pottery is an empowering thing. Its one of the few crafts where somebody can work independently and still actually make a decent living without overhead, infrastructure...a boss!" Mark Kozma said.
Kozma is a potter's apprentice for the Durham-based "Irons in the Fire." He sells hand-made bowls at the Durham Farmers Market each week, but his pottery is more than just a business.
"I've always been one to work with my hands," he said. "And I see pottery and woodwork as a way for me to work independently. I like to work by myself. Have my own time in the workshop."
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Growing up, Kozma's family was in the wood and pottery business. Though Kozma's grandparents were carpenters, he started making pottery in college as a stress reliever. He's since moved on to more complex pieces. Kozma explained how to create one of the bigger pieces of pottery he has on sale.
"I would throw a section of it on the pottery wheel. About the first 6 inches would be one piece of clay. And then I'd make a long coil and attach it to the rim. And throw that. And I would do that five times until I got this completed shape."
Although his business is doing well, Kozma's plans for the future include academia.
"It will give me some time, some breathing room to make art," Kozma said. "Where I would not have to think about production, sales and numbers."
For now, he will keep working at the farmers market. However, Durham isn't the only place to find interesting and unique works of art. The Elon farmer's market is held every Thursday afternoon in front of Elon Community Church.