steady...
“The future has no other reality than as present hope, and the past is no more than present memory.”
- Jorge Luis Borges
In response to the concept of “Holding Time”, I used ceramics as a medium to communicate my interest in the tensions between our memories, the present moment ,and our future fears. The malleability of memory, its fluidity and how our perspective, mindset, biases and prior experiences shape it fascinates me. Objects are witnesses and vessels of memory and time. Memory can be demanding, and I find it challenging to balance holding memories with being present. In a world plagued by the covid pandemic, climate crisis, wars, and injustices, it is even more critical to engage in activities that steady us and help us find contentment in the small things.
Yoga, movement, and nature are the balm to my overthinking mind that often draws me away from the present moment. In my ceramic work, I explore movement and presence through abstract, biomorphic shapes, neutral tones, and smooth textures. Making became a practice of presence, and I had to free myself of expectations so that the material could come into its own. I aim to celebrate the natural qualities of the materials I have used. Thus, my ceramic works are mostly raw and unglazed. As a highly sensitive person, I create works that are soft to the viewer’s senses. I focused on creating tactile, organic pieces inspired by the natural world so that they encapsulate the calming, soothing effect that yoga, movement and nature have on my anxious mind.
In this project, I started to curate my own ceramic style. I drew inspiration from Hans Arp, COSSET Ceramics, Simone Bodner Turner and The Clay Assemblage. Very often, I like to have a detailed plan before commencing projects. This project is significant to my practice because it encapsulated the outcomes that could be created by “thinking through making”. The resulting works are intuitive and distinctive embodying a sense of steadiness.
