Artist statement
My work is an ode to the inspiration our species has felt for centuries while observing the landscapes, discovering materials and watching minerals turn to glass.
I create my pieces in an attempt to find and communicate a sense of awe for our world.
I work with hand-building techniques and build my vessels by hand without a pottery wheel, using porcelain and stoneware. I love the slow process of building a shape with pinching and coiling, because it forces me to wait and fully be aware. The building of a vessel is an exercise in the art of paying attention, of being fully present.
A lot of my vessels are built by hand using porcelain. I love the challenge of hand-building with porcelain and the necessary adjustments I need to make while adapting to the clay. My shapes are organic but refined. Vases are my preferred shape because they are not closed forms. They have a meditative quality to them, they invite us in without looking complete. We can still imbue them with meaning.
Curiosity and experimentation
After a human rights education and a career in tech, I knew it was time for a change. My many experiences inform my approach to creating ceramics.
My approach is curious and grounded in science, while striving for natural and organic forms that match the landscapes of our planet.
The forms I create fulfil the roles of function, art and ceremonial vessels. My goal is to translate a concept onto an object made of clay, the humblest of materials.
Chemistry and poetry
I formulate and create my own glazes, often inspired by my travels. Formulating a new glaze often means spending weeks researching a material or the geology of a place. The process will then involve several rounds of testing and modifications to the glaze chemistry.
Teaching & writing
I co-founded Kleistone Studio, in Berlin, where I teache a number of hand-building classes. I have led hundreds of students through a journey of discovery of materials and traditional techniques.
In the bi-weekly newsletter "Notes of a ceramic artist", I connect the history of ceramics to contemporary culture and explores the role of crafts in our age.
