Studio series
Elements of Dry Earth
The ceramic series “Elements of Dry Earth” captures the moment when the surface of (clay) earth cracks as it dries and transforms into a network of fine cracks. What is normally considered a flaw in ceramic craftsmanship takes center stage here. The stoneware clay used for this undergoes a special transformation during firing—it takes on an intense black, almost charred texture that gives the material depth and character. This creates unique pieces that visualize the natural processes of the earth. The cracks are only surface-deep; the objects themselves are watertight.
Exploring Clay and Craft
Ceramic craft is among the oldest in the world. Ceramic vessels can be made relatively easily from just a few natural raw materials. But what is the difference between regular earth and loam, or between clay and porcelain? How are the raw materials processed? What techniques exist? I have been intensively pursuing these questions since 2012 and had to realize how little I knew about the production of everyday ceramic products and even less about what is beneath my feet.
It all began with simple manual experimentation with different types of clay, followed by learning various techniques and finally complex material and technical experiments. Teaching oneself a craft autodidactically and independently developing knowledge is a significantly longer process in which many mistakes are made. However, this also leads to unconventional paths, linking different work processes, establishing new connections, and discovering the unknown, new possibilities, and that a mistake doesn’t necessarily have to be wrong. Haptic research in the sense of “understanding by doing” also makes it possible to examine production processes and raw materials more closely regarding environmental and working conditions as well as resource extraction, and to grasp them physically.
In doing so, it is important to make connections and relationships between people, environment, and objects tangible, to awaken curiosity and enthusiasm, and to incorporate gained insights into design concepts. This continuous research has so far led to various studio series and products that can be discovered on this website and in the shop.
Photo Dominique Brewing
Photo Dominique Brewing
Craft
With a lot of practice, people can produce several identical pieces by hand with incredible precision. But what exactly is the difference between manual and industrial production? When does each production method make sense?
Apart from the difference in speed between manual and industrial production, a key difference is that a manual process is not preprogrammed; instead, you can decide at the moment of creation how much control to exercise and how much room to leave for chance.
All objects in this series cannot be produced industrially.
There is a beauty in chance that cannot be created manually or mechanically.
Material properties
Earth cracks as it dries—this also applies to clay. It’s a characteristic material property that affects all types. Yet each clay behaves somewhat differently and has its own unique character that you can feel when working with it directly. This cracking also has something familiar about it, something we know and have already observed. In ceramic craft, it’s often seen as disruptive and a flaw, but in this series it should become visible and take center stage. Combined with the black stoneware clay, the cracked surface appears particularly striking, almost like a piece of charred wood. As a vase or planter, it looks as though flowers and plants are blooming from seemingly dry earth, from ash.
The challenge with each object is determining how much to let the surface crack, so that you achieve an interesting surface structure while the object remains practical for everyday use.
Photo Wesley Tingey
Charred piece of wood
Minimizing Waste
Irregularities and chance as part of the design reduce production waste, as the differences become a distinctive feature.
Use
Ceramic is an enormously durable product that can be used across generations. Therefore, products should be designed so that people enjoy using them. Things that people enjoy using aren’t quickly discarded. This too is a form of sustainability.
Resource-Efficient
The focus is on the clay and its natural color as well as possible surface textures, not on glazes. Colored glazes are completely avoided. Clay and clay remnants are largely collected, processed, and reused.
Regional
The loam clay used for this series comes from Germany, from the Westerwald region.
Angewandt
Unique Pieces in Series
All ceramic objects are designed and crafted by hand in the studio workshop. The distinctive character of the different clay types should remain visible, which is why the objects are left raw on the outside and glazed only on the inside. Irregularities in form and material, as well as the visibility of the craft, are not flaws but intentional design elements. There is a beauty in chance that cannot be created manually or mechanically, so the characteristic structures of the objects emerge in an exciting space between control and chance—I create the conditions for their formation but leave their exact expression to the material itself.
Some handcrafted pieces from the series are available in the online shop. Or are you a retailer interested in selling some pieces in your store? Please feel free to contact me:
