An Ardmore ceramic artist will turn your loved one’s ashes into an object of your choice

When artist Daniel Hoffman‘s aunt Sheila Rocco passed away in 2011, Hoffman, who was then studying ceramics at Ohio State University, sank into an emotional pit. The only way out, to him, was to create an heirloom that would honor her life.

Weeks later, Hoffman handcrafted a light blue vase, which would be deemed natural for a student of ceramic arts. Only this time, he added a bit of her remains to the glimmering semi-clear glaze, a practice that would go on to define his career, years later.

“It was a super personal way to get started in this field,” Hoffman said. “She was a really special person to me.”

After years of working as a video producer, animator, and creative director, Hoffman established Ahava Memorials in December 2024. He creates multicolored ornaments, twist vases, candle luminaries, and planters in honor of departed loved ones, using their ashes.

“I want customers to really feel that each piece is individual and unique,” the Ardmore-based artist said.

The name Ahava translates to “love” in Hebrew. “It’s an emotional business,” Hoffman said, “and one that requires a layer of trust that few other art specialties do.”

Customers start by selecting a shape and color for the ceramic piece that they think best honors their loved one.

When order requests arrive, Hoffman sends customers a collection kit, along with a personal message assuring them that memories of their loved ones are in trusted hands.

The kit, containing a U.S. Postal Service human remains box, contains a premeasured container for customers to place ashes in. Once shipped, Hoffman picks it up from a secure P.O. box and begins the ceramic-making process.

That process involves melding bone ash into a glaze-covered ceramic, using a technique first used in the late-18th century by bone china potter Josiah Spode. But instead of forming cattle bones into hardened clay, as Spode did, Hoffman integrates and seals the ashes into a glaze.

The glaze is then hand-brushed onto a premade ceramic object and placed in a kiln. Once the kiln reaches roughly 1,886° Fahrenheit, the ash-infused glaze is firmly coated onto the ceramic, which becomes the final memorial object.

Among Hoffman’s most popular designs are blue, green, and red-coated vases, ornaments, and planters honoring beloved people and pets.

The process, Hoffman said, is a “ton of trial and error.” He spent months building out his home studio and perfecting reliable glaze techniques that would help him create perfect shades of pinks, blues, and reds. And as he’s grown more comfortable with his newly formed designs over the past year, Hoffman’s customer base and offerings have expanded.

Along with new colors and design options, he now casts multiple ceramic objects with one set of remains, and even integrates multiple remains into one design.

Hoffman said he wanted his products to be accessible to everyday buyers. Prices range between $210 and $745, depending on the desired shape, color, and size.

With more people entrusting him with these projects, Hoffman said it has become an even more enriching experience.

“It feels like they’re giving to me as much as I’m giving to them when I make a product for them,” he said. “It’s a special relationship with this product.”

While memorial ceramics seemed like a destined path for Hoffman in college, he never envisioned using his artistic gifts in this way.

“There are a million ways to make a career in the arts,” Hoffman said. “I just kind of found my way doing this.”

He first toiled with clay art as a teenager at Fleisher Art Memorial in South Philly, where he was taught by former chief U.S. Mint engraver Frank Gasparo, who inspired him to pursue a career in ceramics.

After graduating from Temple University and Ohio State, he ventured into studio art, video production, and animation, which led to a role at Comcast as the designer of Jumbotron motion graphics.

It wasn’t until he was laid off as Five Below’s creative director that his passion for memorial-style ceramics was renewed. This time, he was determined to turn it into a full-fledged business.

“I parked this idea for a long time. I tried building it on the side while I was working, but that just wasn’t happening,” he said.

Hoffman said the first phase of production was “hectic,” but with Ahava in full swing now, he is able to forge the kind of relationships with his customers that he first intended. Helping people through grief “feels like an act of giving,” he said.

As the business expands, Hoffman plans to collaborate with crematoriums in the area and dedicate most of his time to creating new products.

He wants to integrate more shapes, colors, and designs into Ahava Memorials, so that the pieces are even more personal to his customers.