Ontario

 In my work I want to investigate traditional methods in ceramics and combine these with aspects of the natural world. It is the calm and chaos of nature that I find stimulating. This seems to reflect the calm and chaos of my own personality, and indeed my own life. In my work I would like to explore these two opposites; the challenge is to integrate these elements, so that each has equal importance in order to allow the union to convey harmony.

The biographical component of my work is connected with my own changing surrounding. In passing through I was forced to make an existence in the places I have lived in at each given time. New surroundings, impressions and experiences have enriched my life but at the same time I have always been aware of a risk of losing my identity and my heritage. Travelling has come to represent my path (der Weg) through life itself.

The ceramic heritage is important in my work because it establishes a link between the old and the new. The ancient recipe of Egyptian Paste is my link to tradition and represents that continuity. However, once Egyptian Paste is fired to extreme temperatures it transmutes and starts to have a new dimension. The unpredictability of this method echoes elements in nature's patterns. It is the juxtaposition of the calm and chaos that fuels my artistic ambition. To fuse both in my work is my aim.