At the eve of Belgian National Day, King Philippe awarded honorary decorations. I still can’t believe it but I was awarded with the rank of Commander in the Order of the Crown for my achievements as a ceramic artist. I was told that the king likes my work and that he appreciates that my pieces found their way to museums and collectors all over the world. 

The award ceremony will take place on December 1st at the Royal Palace. 

It wasn’t written in the stars that Ann Van Hoey, born and raised in the beautiful Belgian city of Mechelen, would one day become a world-famous ceramicist. As a commercial engineer, Ann had a talent for mathematics and sciences, which she combined with a love for sports. Although she worked for numerous years in the furniture industry, she felt from the age of 25 on the call of the craft, of making things from the ground up with her own hands. In the following years, Ann became a loyal student of the IKA Art and Craft Academy in Mechelen where she discovered her interest in and talent for ceramics.

Ann Van Hoey - Ceramics