London Craft Week 2024
ASHFLORESCENCE
I’m proud to be showing my latest collection, Ashflorescence, at the Future Icons Selects show for this coming London Craft Week, alongside 55 selected other maker-artists.
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The exhibition is open to the public 16-19 May 2024, 12pm to 6pm
Bargehouse Building, Oxo Tower Wharf, SE1 9PH, London
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Resilience
"Ashflorescence" is an ethereal installation showcasing my ceramic creations, made over the last few months. I would like to invite you to meander through a metaphoric ash garden, where the timeless allure of wood-ash glazes intertwines with the themes of resilience and acceptance. Like the Phoenix in the Greek mythology, all the pieces part of this exhibition, were born on the potter's wheel, out of a clump of mud and glazed using wood-ash glazes, as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Acceptance
Follow my recent exploration of electric fired wood-ash glazes, through a serene landscape of ash flowers: teabowls, flower bowls and flower plates, each whispering their own tale of tranquillity and introspection. Connecting all pieces, Amphisbaena is a giant double spouted teapot where both spouts symbolise the interplay and interdependance of opposites as well as the interconnectness and mutual reliance of all things in the universe. Blooming with delicate imperfections that celebrate the beauty of uniqueness, every crack and crevice in my work tells a story of endurance, acceptance and growth.
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Drawing inspiration from the ancient wisdom of wabi sabi philosophy and the profound symbolism of zen Enso, I would like to invite the public to contemplate the harmony found in embracing life's inherent flaws. Though the Enso symbol may not be explicitly present, its essence permeates each piece, reminding us of the cyclical nature of existence and honouring beauty found in simplicity.
ECOherence
Resilience allows us to navigate through disruptions, while acceptance encourages us to work in harmony with nature rather than against it. Pottery, which consists in essence of firing dry mud to extremely high temperatures has allowed humanity to make a step on the progress ladder, by offering a safer way to store, consume and transport food and drink.
Pottery is often pointed out as a process requiring a huge consumption of energy and producing masses of CO2. While this is true, I believe that, as potters, it is our duty to promote the concept of eco-herence, or a coherent sustainability through mindful practices and ecocaring working habits. In my practice for example, I make use of efficient kiln firing techniques: I use electricity to fire my kiln (which is the cleanest method of firing, in terms of CO2 and fine particles emissions, when compared to gaz or wood firing), I try to fire my kiln during off-peaks, I always pack my kiln as tight as I can and I have lowered my stoneware firing temperature to 1220C. I use wild clays as part of my decoration arsenal and I recycled ashes from wood burning in my glazes, in an effort to diminish my consumption of commercially dug minerals and chemical ingredients. Additionally, I try to reduce waste by reusing clay scraps and I also try to minimise water usage during production through a serie of water buckets where I wash my tools and my hands. Furthermore, since I started selling my pots, I have embraced eco-friendly recyclable packaging materials and tried to avoid plastic as a ceramic wrapping staple.
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Join me in celebrating the delicate dance between fragility and strength.
Flora Fabris - May 2024
