Reimagining remembrance: Urn Studios introduces artistic urns to the UK

'Every person has their own unique personality, so why, when we pass away, should we all be kept in the same standard container?' asks Jonathan Hancock, co-founder of Urn Studios, a new UK-based platform redefining the aesthetics of remembrance. 'There’s no reason why an urn can’t be something beautiful, honouring the life of the person it holds.'

Launched in 2024, the studio has worked with independent artists and makers to develop a curated collection of handcrafted memorial urns, offering an alternative to traditional, sombre vessels. By merging art and memory, the studio aims to elevate urn design, creating expressive pieces designed to be proudly displayed (similarly, we explored a limited series of vibrant ceramic funeral urns by artist John Booth in 2021.)

It was while Hancock was flicking through a bound plastic folder of mass-produced generic memorial options, that the seed for Urn Studios was sown. Following the loss of his grandmother, he became frustrated with the lack of meaningful options in the memorial space. 'My initial interaction with the funeral space resulted in genuine shock,' he recounts. 'The whole process felt so antiquated and impersonal, with a general sense of gloom. In one of the most challenging times of our lives, we are faced with a standardised approach that feels cold and offers few options to honour your loved ones character and uniqueness.'

Together with partner and co-founder Merel Swart, Hancock reached out to artists and makers, who were interested in challenging conventional notions of what a memorial can be. Many of the designers the duo collaborate with had never created urns before but were drawn to the project’s conceptual depth. 'Some had already made a one-off urn for a relative or friend,' Hancock recalls. 'Many were immediately drawn to the idea of creating urns, recognising the added layer of significance and meaning these pieces could hold.'

The collection embraces artistic freedom, featuring forms that range from sculptural and abstract to intimate and interactive. The stoneware urn by designer Milo Gibson, for instance, includes a memento dish for displaying keepsakes like jewellery or photographs, creating a more personal engagement with memory. 'We gravitate towards pieces that break the mould, exude personality, and express something authentic,' Swart says. Another example is UK woodworkers Cahoots hand turned ash urns with beautiful growth rings that show the trees early years at the base and its later years at the rim, documenting the journey of a life and reinforcing a connection between materiality and remembrance.

The collection currently stands at 50 urns with new designs being added over time. By humanising the urn selection process, the studio aims to shift perceptions around how we engage with memory and grief.

'Death is unfortunately still a taboo subject,' Hancock explains, 'though it’s the one inevitable reality we all share. These days, about 80 per cent of people in the UK get cremated, and a large percentage of people choose to keep the ashes in their home. Rather than relegating them to hidden spaces, we envision them as integral parts of a home, celebrated and openly displayed as tributes to a life lived.'

The project, Hancock informs, has been greatly inspired by observing approaches to grief and memorialisation in other parts of the world. For instance, the Toraja communities of Indonesia, where the deceased remain part of daily life for extended periods before burial. 'That perspective gave us permission to rethink memorialisation in a way that felt progressive but still deeply personal,' Swart says.

While Urn Studios acknowledges the profound weight of loss, it advocates for a broader emotional spectrum in remembrance. 'Many people don’t realise that memorialisation can be expressive, even joyful,' Hancock says. 'We don’t see our role as replacing grief with celebration, but as inviting people to embrace the full spectrum of emotions that come with loss.'

urnstudios.com

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