The illusion of porcelain
- Andrea’s work is inspired by the underwater world
- Illumagie refers to her ability to play with light in porcelain
- Her signature products are carved porcelain lamps
Andrea Sigl trained as a ceramics painter before following her passion for porcelain. Since then her work has straddled arts and crafts. Always conscious of the long history and ancient techniques of the materials she works with – clay, bronze and above all, porcelain – Andrea nevertheless gives herself the freedom to construct, arrange, shape and innovate as she wishes. Fascinated by the translucency of porcelain, she works the raw material into different levels of thinness to allow light to diffuse through the porcelain, creating magical and unique lamps, light objects and sculptures. Andrea exhibits her objects in Austria and beyond and is currently working on a project with two Japanese artists.
Interview
- What was your first experience of porcelain?
- My mother put her most precious pieces of fine art in a glass cabinet which was off limits to small children like me. But from time to time she would take out a delicate tea set and gently lift a cup from its saucer and hold it up against the light. Suddenly a watermarked portrait of a Japanese lady appeared in the base.
- What did you feel when you saw it?
- My thought was always: how did the lady get into the cup? Each time it was a magical moment – and even today, after being surrounded by porcelain for decades, I keep this magic in my mind and repeat it every time I play with light-creating illusions in porcelain. It has basically become my profession, what I call illumagie.
- Where do find inspiration for objects like your disc lamps?
- My inspiration comes from nature. I love the submarine world, corals, minerals and stones as well as flowers and plants or cosmic and microcosmic structures. You will find all of them in the lamps, which totally change their appearance when turned on and off.
- What's the key to being a successful artisan?
- Talent is a gift. But to turn it into a profession, it needs passion. Furthermore, good technical training and a willingness for lifelong learning, self-motivation and resilience. And you must be aware that success doesn’t mean earning lots of money or becoming famous. It means the joy of discovery and creation in the making process.
Andrea Sigl is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1977
Where
Andrea Sigl
