Ceramics that explore the soul
- Claire is renowned for her intriguing figurative sculptures
- Her creations investigate human feelings and emotions
- Porcelain, terracotta and black stoneware are her materials of choice
Claire Curneen has a vivid memory of the moment that determined the path that she was to follow for the rest of her life. “I was 12 or 13, and we were living in County Kerry, Ireland. My father had just returned from visiting his brother in Madrid, and had brought me a little clay bird that my aunt, who is a painter, had made in a small kiln in her kitchen. I thought it was extraordinary, and I realised it was possible not only to build things with your hands, but also to actually make it your job.” Claire's monochrome creations, occasionally heightened with the subtle use of colour and gold, have always revolved around the human figure, which she represents in dramatic poses, juxtaposing their fragile nature with the intensity of the emotions they evoke.
INTERVIEW
When I moved to Cork for my foundation studies, I was fascinated by the magic of the ceramics department, with its raw materials and kiln firings. It was a place where sculpture, design, printmaking and technology came together.
The subject of the figure is still central to my work, but I have scaled it up, to make it more impactful. I use the same materials and techniques, but I get better at it day by day. So, the evolution is really very nuanced and subtle.
I am inspired by Italian Renaissance paintings of Saints, blue and white ceramics, the poetry of Seamus Heaney… And the stimulating music by singer songwriter Nick Cave, who also speaks brilliantly about how he uses ceramics as a mode of expression.
I teach in the MA Ceramics course at Cardiff School of Art & Design, where I also graduated in the early 1990s. Together with the techniques, it is important for students to understand the historical and cultural contexts of making, encouraging an ethical approach to the carrying forward of the craft.
