Carme Balada

Seduced by Japanese ceramics

• For Carme, Japanese ceramics is the basis for all ceramics
• She makes large pieces as well as smaller items, especially bowls
• She loves to observe nature and be in contact with it

Carme Balada knew from an early age that she wanted to use her hands to express herself. However, she wasn’t sure which craft to pursue until she discovered clay at Escola Massana in Barcelona and fell in love with it. “It was like a seduction,” she says. Although fascinated by all the processes of ceramics, which she considers a deeply mysterious alchemy, she nevertheless abandoned her craft for ten years, until a trip to Japan sparked her enthusiasm once again. She decided to visit Japanese ceramist Rioji Koie, whom she had known for years. As a consequence, all her doubts vanished and she took up her ceramics career once again.

Interview

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What did you discover during that trip to Japan?

I was fascinated by the special elegance and sensitivity of Japanese ceramics. I think ceramics are a necessity because they are connected to the origin of our identity as humans, and Japanese ceramics are the model for their delicacy.

How would you describe your process?

I use several techniques and I choose the one I think is appropriate depending on the piece I have in mind. I work a lot with the technique of cylinders, the most ancient one, but I also work with the wheel. My main interest is texture, more than colour. The surfaces of my pieces are like skin.

What do you most like to make?

I really like making small everyday pieces, since they are connected to life. But I love also doing big pieces, since they allow you to experiment with new shapes and work in a more conceptual, more intimate way. Every piece is unique, in any case. I’m currently experimenting with porcelain.

What do you try to achieve?

I like simple, pure shapes, like you find in ancient ceramics, but at the same time I try to make them contemporary. I think quality comes from being respectful of your own work and of the material. That’s mastery for me: time, resilience and passion.

Carme Balada is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1985

Works

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