Gabi Ehrminger

Ceramicist

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Wood fired ceramics

Gabi uses elementary abstract shapes
Every piece is burnished with smooth stones
The wood firing adds an archaic element to the process

Gabi Ehrminge creates intriguing shapes out from clay on the potter’s wheel. The resulting pieces appear distant as they only just touch the ground they rest on. With smooth stones, the semidry clay is continuously compressed. Through burnishing, Gabi creates an immaculate surface, it is a process of densification. Using an ancient technique, once practiced in the Neolithic age, Gabi allows for temporal density and creates an antithesis to the fast paced present. Her creativity has been recognised with awards at events in Naturns, Italy and Iznang, Germany, as well as the Staatspreis Baden-Württemberg 2020.

Interview

When did you start working in ceramics?
I started turning ceramics in 1980. The equipment of my workplace at that time included a potter's wheel. In my free time, I was able to work in order to strive after my childhood dream. In 1984, I opened my own workshop in Radolfzell where I make utility ceramics.
Did you receive a formal education in your craft?
No, I studied art and technology at the Pädagogisches Fachinstitut in Stuttgart. My skills have developed through practise, over decades. I learn something new every day that I work with clay. But I have also done a lot of research on ancient firing techniques and read a lot.
Where has this lead you?
In 1987, I moved to the Black Forest. Where I was finally able to experiment with open fires and various types of wood fires. I could put my knowledge to practice. That was the beginning of a great passion and brought a new dimension to my works.
What is the effect of wood firing?
In the fire together with wood shavings and other plant parts, unique drawings are created on the surface, ranging from shimmering coal-black to gossamer rust. This enigmatic, natural coating is a deliberate contrast to the simple abstract shapes, equally archaic as modern.

Gabi Ehrminger is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1980