Kris Campo

Efaistos

Ceramicist

Communicating through clay

Kris uses clay to express herself and her passions
Her works are inspired by her own life
She passes on her love of ceramics by teaching

Kris Campo first encountered clay when she took a pottery course as a teenager. “From the beginning, I was very inspired by the feel of clay but also by the magic of the potter’s wheel. So I started to take several workshops in Belgium and abroad.” Italian master Antonio Lampecco, who lived in Belgium, taught her the technique of throwing pots, passing on his love of clay and craftsmanship in the process. After leaving school, Kris studied ceramics at art school in Antwerp, where she first heard this craft spoken of “as an art, as a medium to express yourself,” she says. After that “it became very important to me to create an individual language through clay.”

Interview

How much of your time do you dedicate to ceramics?: All the time! I work three to four days a week in my studio, I teach an evening class at the Academy of Fine Arts, I coach professional artists about the content of their work and their techniques, and since 2018 I’ve curated exhibitions for a gallery in Brussels.
In what way does your life inspire your work?: Fifteen years ago, my life became my source of inspiration. My piece Trias is based on my endless interest in dance and Oskar Schlemmer’s Das Triadische Ballet. When I was young I dreamed of becoming an actress, and my Histriones series is based on the theatre.
What has been your most significant influence?: In 2004 and 2008 I travelled to China, which strongly influenced my work. I started creating larger installations, based on my own history and passions, with very dynamic, coloured and decorated objects.
How do you create the patterns on your works?: After the works have gone through three different firings, I make decorative patterns on the surface of the glazed work, using transfers of my personal photographs to create a story in my work.

Kris Campo is a master artisan: she began her career in 1987 and she started teaching in 1995