Ceramic canvas and abstract motifs
- Clementina approaches ceramic work as a 3D canvas
- She values the human energy and imprint left in handmade objects
- To her, ceramics are a stoic teacher on life
Clementina van der Walt’s career was launched at a hobby class circa 1970. "This is where the 'alchemy of clay' hooked my 18-year-old self. Ever since, I have been spurred by the idea of transmuting earth into beautiful objects with fire," explains Clementina. This passion matured through formal training and a six-year teaching stint at the now University of Johannesburg. Her style is contemporary South African, with roots neither solely African nor solely European, and a peppering of influences from Japan to boot. "In Africa, the power cuts forced me to develop a dual practice in textiles as my kiln would be regularly be cut off," she says. The Capensis collection saw her designs reimagined onto textiles. Clementina has harboured a lifelong passion for painting, which she channels into ceramic tableware and vase making.
Interview
- How would you say your creative process unfolds?
- It starts with a lot of thinking and visualisation in my head. I do not sketch much, rather the idea materialises with the doing. I just start laying the ground and then the process develops organically in ways I would not have been able to imagine initially.
- Is there a connection between your craft and your sense of place?
- Initially I was very inspired by the urban, lively Johannesburg vibe. But growing up as a descendant of colonialists, I was instructed to look abroad. Later, I became much more aware of the African heritage and environment here that is part of me. I am a South African. I am not only African, nor am I only European. I would call what I do 'contemporary South African'.
- How does your background in ceramics satisfy your artistic drive?
- My strength is in surface design. I love taking something that is usually two-dimensional, like a painting, and giving it a three-dimensional existence on my pots. I use underglaze colours and techniques like majolica to create a painterly, watercolour effect, turning my tableware and vases into my canvas.
- What life lesson have you learned thanks to your craft?
- Ceramics is quite a good life teacher, because things can go wrong. The kiln over-fires, pieces crack and you learn to be stoic, not precious. You learn to value the moment, move on, and make something new. My motto is "Seeking the sacred in the ordinary."
Clementina Van Der Walt is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1975
Where
Clementina Van Der Walt
