Maria ten Kortenaar

Porcelain maker

©Maria ten Kortenaar

A life expressed in porcelain

Maria uses the Japanese Nerikomi technique
Her works are based on her personal experiences
Each one of her designs is a unique piece of art

Maria ten Kortenaar lives and works in Amsterdam. She first trained as a silversmith and goldsmith at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and worked with goldsmith and sculptor Jaap de Vries. However, in 1995 she decided to change medium, because she felt clay would offer her a wider colour spectrum. Since 2005 she has worked exclusively with porcelain. “I started making porcelain objects after a trip to China,” she says. “I was deeply impressed by the skyline of Hong Kong, so I decided to create my own Hong Kong in porcelain. It was a turning point in my career.” The colours in her porcelain objects are made with a special Japanese inlay technique, called Nerikomi, where colours are mixed into the porcelain clay.

Interview

©Maria ten Kortenaar

©Maria ten Kortenaar

Why did you choose Nerikomi porcelain as your expressive medium?: I love colour, and the joy that it brings to the viewer of my work. Each one of my works carries the title of a personal memory, and I hope that people will perceive some of what I've experienced through my porcelain objects.
How would you define what you do?: I translate what I see, feel or experience in daily life into my porcelain artworks, like a diary. It's a passion, I love to shape my emotion into tangible pieces. It is not about tradition or innovation, it is about art. My work is inspired by my entire life.
Is there anything about your work that people don’t normally know?: It’s very time-consuming to make one piece. I create them one by one, and it can take me up to one week to complete a single object. It is painstaking work and I am not satisfied until it is perfect.
Can you tell us about one of your favourite memories?: Probably when I won the special prize in the World Ceramic Biennale in 2009, in South Korea. That experience made me aware that my work is appreciated by a wider audience of admirers.

Maria ten Kortenaar is a master artisan: she began her career in 2005 and she started teaching in 2008