Lutz Könecke

Ceramicist

©Lutz Könecke

©Lotte Neumann

From little to large

Lutz started as a ceramics collector
He creates sizeable assembled vessels
Glazing is a very important part of his process

Lutz Könecke has been a ceramics enthusiast all his life, however his passion started as a collector of 1920s and 1970s ceramics. It was in 1999, after he had trialled careers in archaeology, photography, and acting, that he realized that his heart was in ceramics and that he wanted to be not just a collector but a creator. “I had been collecting ceramics for years by then and I was intensely occupied with their history. My interest in it grew steadily. So I decided that I wanted to make ceramics myself”. Thus, with a profound understanding of ceramics history, Lutz Könecke started to develop his very own design language – for which he is known today – under the guidance of Ralf Busz and Urs Lüthi at the University of Applied Arts in Kassel.

Interview

©Lutz Könecke

©Lutz Könecke

Does your family have a connection with ceramics?: Yes, since the end of the 1960s there has been a pottery workshop on our farm and my father has been collecting ceramic pieces since the beginning of the 1970s.
What role does tradition paly in your creative process?: I agree with Gustav Mahler who said: “tradition is not the worship of ashes, but passing on the fire”. Without tradition I would have no foundation to start from, no roots. But these roots don’t hold me back, they grow together with me through my senses and perception.
What are the common technical features of your work?: All my large vessels are assembled from at least two separate parts that are made on the potter’s wheel. The glaze is usually dipped, poured or sprayed on. I create vessels whose primary purpose is not to be filled.
What advice would you give to aspiring ceramicists?: Just try it yourself, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the work on the potter’s wheel. Find a workshop with people who have some time for you and are willing to give you some insights. And go and see as many ceramics as you can at collections and museums.

Lutz Könecke is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2007