Ricus Sebes

Ceramicist | Sankt Goar, Germany

Recommended by

Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks

A man of contrasts

Ricus only decided to become a ceramicist in his mid-thirties
He was inspired by his ceramicist wife
His work combines rough textures with fine crystalline glazes

Driven by the urge to learn and the courage to fundamentally readjust the cornerstones of his life, Dutchman Ricus Sebes made a brave decision in his mid-30s. “I reached a point where I felt I had to redefine my future,” he says. Inspired by the work of his ceramicist wife Sonja Sebes, he left behind a career as a marine and salvage diver and started his apprenticeship as a ceramicist. After years of learning and refining, his newly chosen path bore fruit, and with the move from the Netherlands to Germany came new opportunities. Today, his works have garnered wide recognition and numerous prizes.

Interview

Why did you choose ceramics?: I don’t know, it just happened. All I wanted was the freedom to be able to creatively express myself and I guess ceramics was the most present form to me. It is funny to recall that when I was a kid, I created a small ceramic can in school. The surface was coarsely scratched and covered with a crystal glaze. Not much has changed since then.
Your work contrasts beautiful glazes with rough textures...: I need the crystalline glazes for the interplay with the rugged clay body. Both elements are a manifestation of a maturing process in which time and the elements leave their traces. But the crystal glazes are of secondary importance to me.
What's the story behind your work?: It is the object itself. Most people only look at the bling bling, the beautiful crystal surface. They don't want to know anything about how my work emerged. It's like with flowers. They are very beautiful to us, but we prefer not to consider that soil consists of dead leaves, insects and excrement.
Do you have any advice for future ceramicists?: Just do it and do it with passion. But most importantly, do it for yourself. Find your own answers to your questions. Let yourself be inspired, but never start copying. Give yourself time to develop and don't expect respect from others or financial gain.

Ricus Sebes is a rising star: he began his career in 2019