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Statement
Gabriele HAIN
Cups and Sculptures
So many choices, so many different slips, different atmospheres to fire and different glazes…
Testing begins with four slips which I reduce to two after the first firing: New Bone and White 100 I like best, they are quite different in colour, shrinkage and working qualities.
My interest is to cast very thin to make the translucent qualities of porcelain visible. Best I like the pieces which feel so light in the hand when used and almost seem to disappear…
Simple forms for daily use: a small cylinder for sake (which I make since years) and bigger ones for espresso and tea (which I made for this workshop) plus a bigger cylinder to be cut, or to be used as vase…
Work for me is a dialogue with the material, form, space and fire.
Last year I began to cut forms, thus provoking alteration: depending on thickness and the dimension of form and out cuts the shape will change in firing: straight lines may bend or almost collapse, circles may turn into ellipses thus creating, what I call transform.
Cutting is done before bisque-firing, refining of the edges after.
I also use the smaller forms, like sketches to cut and see what happens.
Opening the kiln is always exciting! -showing the direction how to continue. The material is so beautiful, only time is far too short!
Coming to Japan again was like a dream come true and I felt very honored to be invited to work in the Seto Ceramics and Glass Art Center in this historically so significant city.
It was a good experience to share the studio with Japanese ceramists, to see and learn about their different methods and have the professional help of assistants at any time.
Everybody has been incredible helpful and kind, a demanding schedule with visits and trips to museums and workshops made this six weeks an extremely intense and unforgettable period in my life.
Arigato gozaimashita
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