by Carole Epp | Jul 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
via THE HINDU:
“Simplicity and vividness were the best attributes to describe her art and ceramics. Simplicity, for her, meant silent sophistication. Nature was her leitmotif. She framed forms through her own understanding of nature and human experience.
A ceramic cat or owl was more than just an artwork for her. She glazed her ceramics in such an inimitable way, giving them evocative rugged and rough surfaces.
Jyotsna behen, as she was popularly called, considered Ira Chaudhri as the Guru of the Indian ceramic movement. In India where a lot of ceramic work has echoes of borrowing/imitation, Jyotsna behen’s intrinsic understanding of the relationship between form and the ferment became her signature.
Her sculpted entities around nature, the spontaneity of clay and the marvels of expression speaking through her plant forms, owls and smiling cats.
Born Jyotsna Shroff in 1940 at Mandvi in Kutch, she lost her father early but her uncle saw her aptitude in fine arts and encouraged her to pursue it.
Her journey at the wheel began in the 1960s in Vadodara. A high priestess of the world of minerals and fire and clay, she looked around her garden at Vadodara for stimulus and inspiration.
Married to celebrated artist and Padma Shri, Jyoti Bhatt, she always maintained that her husband was very supportive and her family played an important part in her achievements.
She studied sculpture under Prof. Sankho Chaudhuri at the famed M.S. University at Baroda and later ceramics at the Brooklyn Museum Art School in the U.S. Returning to India she taught at, and later headed the Department of Ceramics at her alma mater until her retirement in 2002.
Her sensitivity and her distinct sensibility was born of a deep understanding of the arts and crafts heritage of Gujarat. Her journey saw the genesis of a silent yet robust modernist potter, who was at home in the contemporary world and comfortable in her own skin, sharing secrets as she went along.”
Read the full article on her life and work HERE.
by Carole Epp | Jul 9, 2020 | Uncategorized
The People’s Cup Auction is LIVE! Visit our feed @siltstudioltd to view all 47 cups on offer. Each cup closes at a designated time throughout the afternoon and evening of this Friday, July 10th. You can find essential auction details and rules in our IG Highlights. And stay tuned for more auctions to come over the summer as cups continue to roll into the studio for firing!
The People’s Cup is a community art project born out of the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a small business, we needed to find a way to keep our studio fires burning but we also wanted to offer creative respite and give back to the community in these challenging times.
Each cup was hand-thrown by Jay Kimball at SILT Studio, with the surfaces designed and carved by local artists/makers. Even if you didn’t carve a cup, you can be part of this project by purchasing a special piece to enjoy forever. This collection of cups will go out into the world, and each time they’re held in your hands or put to your lips, we hope they’ll remind you of the strength of community. We believe that the objects we choose to surround ourselves with can enhance the meaning of our lives. Beauty with purpose makes a difference.
50% of general auction proceeds will be shared between Carmichael Outreach and the Regina Food Bank. We believe in compensating artists for their labour, so for cups that are part of the Artist Series, 50% of all proceeds go to the artist who carved the design, unless they opted to donate their proceeds to charity which many have generously done.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
www.instagram.com/siltstudioltd/
by Carole Epp | Jun 29, 2020 | Uncategorized
Our ceramics are made by local artists – extraordinary people from the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, who are given training, materials, a studio and a guaranteed market for their work, under the guidance of our founder, Fée Halsted. Find out more about all the artists behind these gorgeous ceramics at Ardmore HERE.
www.instagram.com/ardmoreceramicart/
www.instagram.com/ardmore/
by Carole Epp | Jun 28, 2020 | Uncategorized
It’s Pride y’all! It’s time to shout from the rooftops that the LGBTQIA+ Pride Movement started as riot by Trans women of color!
I have teamed up with 20 other potters to raffle off a piece of my work to benefit @theokraproject, a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever they can reach them. Here’s how to enter:
1. Donate $5 or more to the @theokraproject or go to https://www.artsbusinesscollaborative.org/asp-products/the-okra-project-sponsored-project/
2. Send a screenshot of your donation along with your Instagram handle to [email protected] $5 per entry. Unlimited entries. If you donate $50, you get 10 entries.
3. All receipts must be dated June 23rd or later.
4. International entries are welcome. Winners chosen at random for pieces donated.
5. Raffle ends 6/28/2020 12AM PST. Winners will be announced 6/30/2020
6. Help us spread the word! Please share this post!
Participating potters include:
@arthurhalvorsen
@ashleybevington
@barbaradonovan
@bellajoypottery
@caassey
@c_tenenholtz_ceramics
@cumulus.clay
@elanpottery
@5linespotterystudio
@jrothshank
@lauriecaffery.clay
@mac_art_ceramics
@machikoerhard
@makegoodchoices
@melissamayapottery
@musingaboutmud
@slip_in_color_ceramics
@thatadewolechick
@threetceramics
@throwandgrowceramics
@vanessamnorris
by Carole Epp | Jun 24, 2020 | Uncategorized
They Clay Community coming together!
Join us on June 26th to help raise funds for NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund in leading the fight for racial injustice.
ClayAKAR and Artists are working together to donate 100% of the proceeds from this event. Your purchases will help the NAACP fund’s mission to achieve racial justice, equality and an inclusive society. Learn more about this fund at https://www.naacpldf.org/
Participating Artists: Dan Anderson, Posey Bacopoulos, Noel Bailey, Ben Bates, Casey Beck, Aaron Becker, Nick Bernard, Ashley Bevington, Andy Bissonnette, Karl Borgeson, Wayne Branum, Nathan Bray, Cynthia Bringle, Rebecca Chappell, Victoria Christen, Sam Chung, Elaine Coleman, Tom Coleman, Michael Connelly, David Crane, Guillermo Cuellar, Jessica Danbrook, Nicholas Danielson, Carrie Day, Nick DeVries, Josh DeWeese, Rachel Donner, Adrienne Eliades, Sanam Emami, Carole Epp, Paul Eshelman, Douglas Fitch, Jil Franke, Stuart Gair, Julia Galloway, Chase Gamblin, Chris Gustin, Perry Haas, Eric Heerspink, Mike Helke, Zak Helenske, Autumn Higgins, Steven Hill, Rick Hintze, Sam Hoffman, Al Holen, Harlan House, Peter Jadoonath, Tom Jaszczak, Brian Jones, Terri Kern, Bradley Klem, Karin Kraemer, Tim Lake, Justin Lambert, Heesoo Lee, Steve Lee, Dick Lehman, Simon Levin, Becky Lloyd, Kirk Lyttle, Hannah McAndrew, Lorna Meaden, Branan Mercer, Ron Meyers, Nikki Mizak, Ted Neal, Jeff Oestreich, Brent Pafford, Liz Pechacek, Malia Peoples, Ron Philbeck, Kyle Rees, Akira Satake, Brad Schwieger, Melanie Sherman, Mitchell Spain, Alex Thomure, James Tingey, Tara Underwood, Benj Upchurch, Momoko Usami, Alea Walter, Holly Walker, Julie Weber, Zachary Wollert and Shumpei Yamaki.
by Carole Epp | Jun 20, 2020 | Uncategorized, workshops
Please join us this Coming Monday 22June 2020 14:00 South African time. – please see Details below. 👇🏾
https://qkt.io/rajSHW
Madoda Fani and Andile Dyalvane’s twenty year old friendship is a testament to brotherhood and one that celebrates a passion for clay. Fani focuses on various coiling techniques and finishes he incorporates in his practice while Dyalvane supports with enquiry in this workshop.
Born in 1975, Madoda Fani grew up in Gugulethu township in Cape Town and discovered his love of clay as a fine art student at Sivuyile College. He worked as a ceramic painter in various pottery studios, gradually developing his own pieces and style. In 2000, his work was selected for the Salon Internationale de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. There he met the ceramicist Simon Masilo, who introduced him to smoke-firing. In 2009, he moved to Johannesburg and began to deepen his craft at the Kim Sacks School of Ceramics. He learned how to burnish clay with a stone from Jabu Nala, the daughter of legendary Zulu beer–pot maker Nesta Nala, and mastered smoke-firing techniques under the guidance of Nic Sithole.
Who is it for
For anyone interested in working with clay, curious about the creative processes and willing to learn. Artists, designers and creative communities who want to expand their knowledge of ceramics and those who want to experience clay meditations.
What you need
You need not have any previous knowledge albeit jargon familiarity may come in handy when questions are asks by the audience. An eagerness to discover the creative process of ceramics is essential.
Materials Needed: Attention and your hands, a notebook or sketchbook, pencil, clay, air dry clay or play dough, a round wooden board (bread board size will do) or round bat.
