Soil & Clay

This set of vases is a free continuation of the design-research project Soil & Clay. Clay as soil, as loam, and as ceramic clay. The first phase involves researching and sourcing materials in nature, which the author later uses in ceramic work. By walking the landscape she knows and loves, she finds these materials in their natural environment. Natural clay became an equal material in a contrasting combination with porcelain and industrially modified clay. Vases, bowls, and objects draw on the specific characteristics of each material. In the next phase of the project, she combines these natural clays with black stoneware and porcelain, mixing her own composite materials. She forms the vases by coiling very thin strips, creating a structure and a gradient of the clay’s natural color.