Chaotic silence on porcelain
- Sonja's favourite material is porcelain
- She lives surrounded by nature and reflects this in her work
- She is intrigued by how we respond to memories, loss, and a sense of belonging
Sonja Top left her structured life in Holland behind and moved to Germany in the early 2010s. Today, she lives a life where almost everything revolves around ceramics. She works in a spacious ceramics studio and gallery set in an old grain mill in Sankt Goar, in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage, upper middle Rhine Valley. For Sonja, the smooth, pure white surface of porcelain offers a perfect canvas for her decorations. She wants her vessels to show spontaneity and movement, strength, along with an organic flowing elegance. The different vistas surrounding her studio are reinterpreted and become abstract landscapes which reflect the internal conflicts of emotions and personal history. "Looking at my work, I see a mixture of chaos that exudes a certain calm. Chaotic silence," says Sonja.
Interview
- What is your educational background?
- I learned the basic skills of pottery in Holland and deepened my knowledge by learning from master ceramicists as I find it important to control those basic skills. It is a fact that you have to train and repeat the same movements over and over again, constantly questioning the result.
- Why did you choose ceramics?
- Every piece of work passes through my hands numerous times, from initial kneading, to shaping, decoration, and firing, before I present it to the world. This level of involvement creates a deep connection to each piece. For me, it provides a sense of calm and mindfulness in our fast-paced world.
- What do you love most about ceramics?
- Clay is a very cooperative material. Although the material has certain limitations, pushing these boundaries is sometimes interesting. Working with clay offers me infinite possibilities to express myself and create deeply personal objects that reflect my inner world.
- What was a memorable moment in your professional life?
- The decision my partner and I made to establish our own ceramic studio and gallery in Germany was a pivotal moment in our lives. From that moment on, I have found a sense of peace and clarity to focus on this craft fully.
Sonja Top is a master artisan: she began her career in 1995 and she started teaching in 2004
Where
Sonja Top
