4 November – 3 December 2011
Chiliart gallery
“I work with stoneware and porcelain. Both types of clay are being fired to 1260 ? C, which gives the material a great technical strength and makes it waterproof. I can add glazes as a part of the decoration or for practical reasons. Sometimes I leave my things without glazing on the outside, and instead I polish the surface with a smooth stone, while the object is still moist. This provides a semi-gloss surface which is also pleasant to touch.
Almost all my ceramics are formed on a potter’s wheel, and have their origin in a functional use as pots or bowls. I might cut or bend them in order to give a better function or a more interesting shape, or I use these classical shapes as a base for my black and white decorations. These decorations are obtained by cutting paper templates that I moisturize and fasten at the semidry ceramic. I apply black color on the entire form, and after removing the templates, appears the white color of the clay. Sometimes I add shading, as a way to emphasize shapes.
My decorations are either a repeated pattern or a composition. In both cases I attempt to create an ongoing process all the way around the jar or the plate. The inspiration comes mainly from the process itself. I might start with a template shape at random; I turn it, I cut it, I try to combine it with other shapes, until something interesting appears. Now I can start to fasten the templates to the form. In this process I often see possibilities for future decorations for other pieces of ceramics, and in this way it goes on.
If I can make something which is both surprising and obvious at the same time, I know that I’m on the right track.”
Idun Lisbet Storrud
The exhibition is carried out with the generous support of the Norwegian Embassy and the Norwegian Institute at Athens.
curated by Jenny Tsoumpri
