Project Network
Published in Ceramics Monthly, November 2015
Read MoreChina Unbound @ David Kaye Gallery
David Kaye presented my first solo exhibition in Toronto fromApril 2-26, 2015. The works came from and out of my experience of working in Jingdezhen, China the Pottery Workshop in the spring of 2013.
I work in two different palettes or “ideascapes”: tonal and primal. The tonal draws on the variegated hues of raw clay bodies, while the primal is based on the colour-wheel’s saturated pigments. My shapes also draw on two opposing ideas: linear curves and basic solid three-dimensional forms; bands of thrown and altered clay, coaxed into kinetic rhythm versus foundational geometry.
China Bound is a series of work that reflects the duality of China that I experienced during my artist residency in Jingdezhen, 2013. Much of the country seems intent on aspiring to hyper-capitalism, while at the same time the soul of the country - its tradition - refuses to be quashed. In this series I try to capture what I believe to be at the core of this duality. Placing the forms in asymmetry at the centre of the altered vessels speaks to the caveats placed on freedom and innovation, where tradition is encircled and bursting with new energy.
Mimesis While in Denmark at Guldagergaard Centre for Ceramic Research in the fall of 2014, I started to make my first complex moulds. My objective was to reframe both the individual and society through abstract portraiture, using the vocabulary I developed in China. I aim to challenge us to examine the varied facets of our lives within the context of social responsibility.
Reaching is a technical and intentional extension of a “mistake” that occurred in Denmark. The series of work, though playful, comments on western society’s craving for constant momentum - always striving for something more.
Chi is a series of work that has its genesis in my own 18-year transformative journey through the practice of tai chi chuan and chi qong. I designed the original forms upon which the moulds of the yin yang and bagua base were made and worked with the craftsmen in Jingdezhen China who fashioned the pieces. Chi is the energy, the life force in each of us.
Essence is the beginning of new work where I move from the macro to the micro, focusing on “soul sketches” of an individual, finding the movement and spectrum of their inner voice.
Reaching – colour and the absence thereof
in Process
Well – I’ve been busy throwing Sheba’s raku clay and slicing it up for “stretching” – some of the results that are readying themselves for the show at David Kaye Gallery next month
SOLO SHOW TORONTO CHINA UNBOUND
Opening Saturday April 11th, 2-4pm at David Kaye Gallery, North/West corner Queen St. W. and Dovercourt (entrance ON Dovercourt – next to Starbucks).
April 2-26th, 2015
I continue to work through the profound insights I had in China 2013 regarding the abstraction of identity, culture and aspects of society. Work shown will be recent bodies of work, work from my residency in Denmark (November 2014) and work from China. I am asking the public to consider different facets of their lives through the work, considering how each and every one of us can contribute to society in meaningful ways.
Figuring a Way
in Process
I attended day one of Crafting Sustainability yesterday at OCADU facilitated and produced by Craft Ontario. The opening keynote speaker, Judith Leemann challenged us in thoughtful ways to consider how we understand and approach our world as craftspeople and makers, citing historical anthropologists and contemporary thinkers Gregory Bateson, Margaret Meade, and Naomi Klein . Highlighting the fact that most see objects, as makers we might consider the materials in which the object is made, shifting the lens, and considering source materials as a state of constant unfinishedness, seeing the re-purposing of material as life itself, rather than ‘recycled’. Key thought: material is always on the way to becoming something else.
Another key idea – is that makers create stories and that stories are the indirect media through which our creations are carried forward and communicated to a larger community. That we might try and see the inherent value in “the thing” rather than make it dependent on the outcomes associated with its environment. In the spirit of this insight, two stories I care to share that Leemann shared. The first – two wood firing potters set up a pottery and realize that they need a lot of wood – so in order to fuel their craft, they retrained as arborists, and began a business “Treecycle” where they cut down unwanted/old trees and take the wood away for free for use in their kilns. Nice.
Second story is about Theaster Gates – one of my favourite artists since I saw him sing and dance with brave irreverence at the AGO last year, and keynote at Milwaukee’s NCECA. Leemann was involved in a progressive performative exhibition installation in Seattle, where each invited artist had a space to transform based on the instructions of lack thereof of the previous artist – Gates was last, and he chose to coat the entire exhibition space with white porcelain slip, all the while singing his hymns of praise to Dave the unknown potter.
Stories whether true or fabricated, are imbued with a certain degree of fiction, and as Leemann reminds us “fiction opens up a spec in us to feel how much we want some thing. Parting words of wisdom: Craft has never been learned by waiting to know enough.
Guldagergaard, Denmark, 2014
in Residencies
This is a pictorial account of Heidi’s time creating work in Guldagergaard, Denmark in 2014.
The first 20 pgs of my travelogue, check out the whole book.
Re-inventing the mould
in Process
And so the process begins, as I sort through the next installation positives for my mimesis series where I’m interested in pointing the finger to various facets of our lives and of society. I hope to make three different moulds to work with this winter/spring. Just pressed sculpture clay around to find what I wanted in terms of form, built a cube of plaster and literally sawed off the edges. Starting to make a mould – its’ an uphill learning curve, as this is NOT my forte, and I’m missing my mentors from Project Network in Denmark.
Craft Ontario, Craft Show Artist Feature
Quote: “Craft Ontario is excited to be launching our very own retail Craft Show! This October 10-12, 2014. As part of our ongoing efforts to support members and connect them with new opportunities for sales and promotion, the Show will be a valuable opportunity for members to access a new market and to help grow awareness and appreciation of craft in Toronto.
Held this year at the historic Artscape Wychwood Barns (601 Christie St, Tonronto), the Craft Show will take place as a yearly event that offers the best of contemporary high-end craft. This inaugural show will showcase high-end retail craft by Craft Ontario members in a boutique inspired setting. The Craft Show makes a perfect Thanksgiving activity; bring the family, visit the farmers market and take the opportunity to shop a curated selection from 50+ local vendors showcasing a selection of handmade jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass and wood from some of Ontario’s top craft artisans.”
Life in Balance at Gallery 1313
I am thrilled to have been selected to participate in Gallery 1313 Emerging Artist Summer Exhibition -(July 10-20) Rwa Bineda Artist Statement (created in Bali August 2013)
Each instant carries with it a multitude of possibilities. We are bombarded by choice at every turn, and yet we tend to ignore the natural undercurrent of the rhythm of life. In Balinese culture I observed a pervasive sense of respect for the importance of the constant dialogue between good and evil. Balinese philosophy describes this ongoing play between opposing forces as “Rwa Bineda.” Many of the core themes in my work reflect back similar notions of duality: fragility and strength; static motion; yearning, submission and ultimately transcendence. Traditionally the Balinese depict Rwa Bineda in black/white and/or red checked patterned cloth. I chose to use the static motion of closed wheel-thrown loops. Life itself is an experiment – its twists and turns – and am coming to understand that balance is not an unattainable ideal, but an imperfect state of being that just happens one moment at a time.
Flow NCECA Invitational Exhibition
Published in Ceramics Monthly, June 2014
Read MoreChurning: Transcending Material at NCECA 2014
Hi all – thanks to everyone who came out to NCECA in Milwaukee and checked out the Potter’s Council Juried Members’ show in the exhibition hall. I had some great feedback, really appreciate the support. It was a wild time! And thanks also to the Ontario Arts Council for supporting the transport of the work and for allowing me the opportunity to promote the work onsite.
Reversing the Flow: European Designers in China
Published in Ceramics Monthly, February 2014
Read MoreErnabella in Jingdezhen
Published in Ceramics Monthly, January 2014
Read MoreJingdezhen, China and Bali, Indonesia, 2013
in Residencies
This is a pictorial account of Heidi’s time creating work in China, Hong Kong and Bali.
The first 20 pgs of my travelogue, check out the whole book.
Ceramic Art & Perception Review, 2013
Go East - Canadians Create in China
Published in Ceramics Monthly, September 2013
Read MoreBalancing Act…
Here’s the artist statement for my solo show that ends my residency at Gaya – it’s been great, when I start to think about all the creative leaps and bounds, discoveries, learnings – I can’t wait to get back into the studio and start working again…
Each instant carries with it a multitude of possibilities. We are bombarded by choice at every turn, and yet we tend to ignore the natural undercurrent of the rhythm of life. In Balinese culture I have observed a pervasive sense of respect for the importance of the constant dialogue between good and evil. Balinese philosophy describes this ongoing play between opposing forces as “Rwa Bineda.” Many of the core themes in my work reflect similar notions of duality: fragility and strength; static motion; yearning, submission and ultimately transcendence. The varied work in this exhibition is inspired by my recent sojourn in Jingdezhen, China’s porcelain capital, my time at Gaya in Bali, and my own life’s twists and turns. I am just beginning to grasp the notion of “Rwa Bineda,” as I come to understand that balance is not an unattainable ideal, but an imperfect state of being that just happens one moment at a time.
Slip Sliding Away…
in Process
I realized rather late that one of the things I really wanted to do at Gaya was to continue to explore the concepts and techniques that I started to play with in China – so I had Made Bracuk make me moulds of my three Euclidian forms: the sphere, the cube and the prism – only this time much larger, moving from 8cm diameter to 14cm. I had the production centre make up some coloured clays – and away I went. Honestly – the frustration and disappointment has been intense, but also a big reminder to live in one of the guiding principles for my life: non-attachment. But – the great news is that I am learning and adjusting and working with all kinds of constraints I never thought I’d have to deal with – like the casting slip is not casting slip – it’s just porcelain, watered down. So unlike China, where you can pull a cast i 15 minutes, it took 24+ hours for each cast, and then another day to dry each piece to the point where I could decorate it with the transfer decals. I also read a very inspiring piece by Wouter Dam on patience and persistence – and realize that I am not spending enough time or taking the care needed to get the success that I’m striving for. I am invigorated to take it back to basics when I return home and start building up my skill arsenal to take things to another level.
Jingdezhen in Macau
in Process
I went to two ceramic exhibitions in Macau last weekend: Fantasy World – Chinoiserie at the Macau Museum showcased the influence of Chinese Orientalism on European ceramics from the mid 17th Century – and then the flip side, Chinese ceramics influenced by Europe. Fascinating – I learned about Queen Anne of France (1689 -1714) just because she liked hot pink – now that’s a monarch after my own heart. Enjoy the images:
