Ceramic Artists on Creative Processes

This book contains a representative selection of the work of some of the best ceramic artists in the world. The 25 featured artists explain, in their own words, the creative processes behind their work, what inspires them, the strategies they use to stay fresh and creative, what distinguishes their work from that of other ceramic artists and how they achieve this. Through examples of their most personal creations -objects capable of affecting us emotionally, surprising us and making us think-, the artists reveal important details about their ceramic creations: how it was made, how it was shaped, which glaze and engobe coating they used to give the clay color and texture, the firing temperature of the kiln and the type of kiln chosen. The reader is provided with an illuminating glimpse into each artist's unique creative world, where they point out the defining features of their work and reveal some of the secrets that characterize their artistic processes. Paragons of exploration, risk and versatility, the extraordinary artists highlighted in this book rediscover thousand-year-old traditions, reinvent perspectives, transcend boundaries, tell stories and rebel from conventional expectations, creating in the process an exhilarating space where art, clay, water, air and fire meet and, ultimately, inspire. CERAMISTS INCLUDED. ARGELIA: Nathalie Doyen (Belgium). BELGIUM: Ann VanHoey. CHINA: Wan Liya. FRANCE: Monsieur Cailloux. GERMANY: Monika Debus. INDIA: Madhvi Subrahmanian. IRLAND: Nuala O'Donovan. ITALY: Paola Paronetto. JAPAN: Shozo Michikawa, Kaori Kurihara (now France), Yuko Nishikawa (now USA). MEXICO: Gustavo Pérez. NETHERLANDS: Cecil Kemperink. NIGERIA: Ngozi Omeje Ezema. POLAND: Monika Patuszynska. SPAIN: Ícaro Maiterena, Xabier Montsalvaje, María Oriza, Myriam Jiménez Huertas, Ana Felipe, Roger Coll. UK: Alice Walton, Nicholas Lees. USA: Lauren Nauman, Godeleine de Rosamel.

Auteur
For twenty-three years Teresa de la Cal Nicolás worked as a graphic designer and publicist. In 2016, she embarked on a year-long journey, during which she became increasingly excited about ceramics: the potter's wheel, the wood kilns, the glazes, and all the possibilities that ceramics offer. She took ceramics classes in different countries (India, Australia, Indonesia, Japan). Upon returning to Spain, she exchanged her computer for a potter's wheel and an electric kiln and started her own ceramics studio, Caliche, a peaceful place for carrying out numerous projects which she shares with other artists. In her studio she organises exhibitions and specialised workshops taught by such renowned international ceramicists as Ana Felipe, Marta Armada and Monika Patuszynska. Teresa has exhibited her work in a wide range of group exhibitions: Gabinete de curiosidades and Salvando las distancias (in Caliche, Zaragoza), Ciudad cerámica. Ceramistas en la ciudad de Zaragoza, as part of the activities organised by the CERCO Contemporary Ceramics Festival (in Sala Juana Francés, Zaragoza), and Un bosque de sombras (at the Museo de Albarracín, Teruel).