Sonja Duò-Meyer

Ceramicist

©Barbara Faissler

©Orlando Duò

©Roland Stucky

Encapsulating time in porcelain

Sonja uses Limoges porcelain and black engobe
She simplifies the shape and materials to achieve a pure expression
Every vessel she makes is entirely hand-built

It is the absence of obtrusive ornamentation that sets apart the work by Sonja Duò-Meyer. By reducing the expression to the sole interplay of shape and material, everything that is left is amplified. “I aspire to spark the emergence of images in the eye of the beholder by taking away everything that would be suggestive.” However, her approach to reduction can also be understood as a process of condensation, as the surface is the shape itself and the colour is encased in the material. No additives, at least nothing physical, but time. Every vessel is built-up entirely by hand, encapsulating the time running through, layer after layer, a timekeeper that only runs once, during its creation. The unique presence of Sonja Duò-Meyer’s sculptures has been honoured with exhibitions worldwide, a residency in Tajimi, Japan, and a collaboration with architect Peter Zumthor.

Interview

©Orlando Duò

©Orlando Duò

Is your work the antithesis to a world in which everything screams for attention?: The works should have a strong presence through their unspectacular simplicity and reduction. I guess you could say that they are a point of irritation – or more positively, they invite the viewer to stay and investigate their archaic expression.
How did your path in ceramics start?: I have been working in my studio since 1975, trying out different creations and firing techniques. My first encounter with clay was in Missen, Allgäu at the academy in the course Clay & Colour. I remain completely fascinated by the contemplative work with clay.
What is the philosophy behind you works?: I strive to capture a piece of life in a bodily narrative. I want it to follow a contemporary aesthetic language so that it evokes associations and feelings, but also it should go to the limits of the material, so that people can feel the fascination of clay, in particular of porcelain.
How do you deal with the commercial side of your craft?: My first works I sold at markets, I then also started to present my collection at fairs. However, working for resale is a challenge in its own right, there is always a demand for new products. I therefore work with different techniques for my sculptures and tableware.

Sonja Duò-Meyer is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1978