Works

17th Kohila Symposium, Manor Park, Kohila, Estonia. An annual woodfiring residency that fosters the dialogue among international artists.

"My first encounter with wood-firing in Estonia inspired me to explore this firing technique more deeply as a means of expression in ceramics. Wood-fired kilns act as a chamber of transformation, turning monotonous clay figures into a spectacle of nature. As a wood-firing ceramist, one is involved not only in shaping the clay but also in firing the ceramics. Through a long firing period the temperature gets raised within the kiln —the firing is driven by human labor. Instead of an electronic control system, it is the ceramist’s own hands that ensure a successful firing. The transformation of the clay figures occurs because the fire and the kiln atmosphere react with the clay pieces and leave their marks on surfaces of the ceramics—in the form of flame marks, ash deposits, and the resulting glaze formation and color development. After firing, the clay figures are different from what they were before.”