About
Inspiration
My work is inspired by the nature in my immediate vicinity. The woods, the meadows with jumping hares, the grazing cows in the fog. Also the little ladybug on a leaf in my garden. I observe all this and see the beauty and the connections between all living things. I see wild bees buzzing on apple blossoms in spring. Butterflies eat the fallen fruit in the fall. The oak covers the ground with a thick layer of leaves for the worms so that the mole loosens and airs the soil for the growth of new plants and flowers. Everything has a time and a purpose. A shaky balance.
As an artist I investigate the idea of a new age in which people, nature and technology together create a new balance. The founder of that idea (The Symbiocene) is the Australian environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht. His idea is a response to the Anthropocene , the era in which humans dominate and exploit nature. An era with all kinds of negative consequences such as the
climate problem and the loss of biodiversity. I try to make people look at nature again through my work. How special natural processes can be, how beautiful and special nature is. I hope to inspire people to strive for a future in which humans and nature can live together in a symbiotic way.
I choose the slow process of pottery making
I make diverse work; from utensils to art objects. I like spinning utensils on the turntable, but also building and shaping the clay by hand. Although I can finish everything tightly, it is necessary to leave the wrinkles and imperfections here and there for what they are. The work may show that it has been in motion.
I believe handmade objects are important in our fast paced digital world. The imperfections in the clay, the variations of the glaze, the differences in the size of the cups from each other are all signs that it is handmade.
Although every object can be seen as a piece of art, it can ultimately be used. I am very happy to know that you can enjoy a nice cup of tea in the morning from one of my cups.
I CHOOSE TO MAKE INTENTIONAL “SLOW POTTERY”
I studied at the ARTEZ art school. There I graduated as an independent visual artist. My love for the material clay has blossomed so much. Clay is Mother Earth. Without nature there is no life.