Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė

Ceramicist

©Daiva Liubamirskaitė

All about ceramics

Eglė feels she could explore ceramics her entire life
She combines old firing methods with modern technologies
She cares most about the idea, not the technical execution

To Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė, ceramics is more important than any other art form. After trying out different media, she couldn’t find anything that came close. Working with ceramics allows her to be a painter, sculptor and graphic artist all at once, since clay can encompass it all. She decorates ceramic tiles, and creates interior details, sculptures, jewellery, pictures on wood, elegant boxes, plates and vases. In her works you can often see the influence of nature and man, images of which are subtly painted on the surfaces of plates and other objects. She combines transparent surfaces with massive shapes, elegant graphics with heavy sculptures, and matt surfaces with glossy glazes.

Interview

©Daiva Liubamirskaitė

©Daiva Liubamirskaitė

Why do ceramics interest you?: I like it that ceramics are universal and boundless. I could compare it to the Holy Testament: you can spend your whole life analysing it and still not understand anything. Ceramics allow me to be a painter, a graphic artist and a jewellery maker. I am fascinated by Raku ceramics and Anagama ceramics.
Do you use a specific technique?: When creating, I often try out new techniques and materials. I am frequently tempted to devise an interesting glaze. But in the end, the idea matters more than the execution. I make the sculptures by hand from clay, then spray them with glaze or coloured engobes.
What inspires you to create?: Sometimes I am inspired by the simple things around me, or by a successful glaze experiment, other times it can be interesting exhibitions or good artworks. I observe my surroundings and I like what I see.
What traits should a ceramicist have?: It’s very important to be patient. You shouldn’t expect to get quick results. Someone who wants to become a ceramicist needs to have a lot of patience and courage to experiment. Ceramics only becomes more beautiful like that.

Eglė Einikytė-Narkevičienė is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2000