Find what is in your nature and follow it.
These words are the inspiration to my clay journey. From simply sitting with the clay in my hands, unable to make anything for a very long time, to renting a small basement space to now selling my work.
I am a self-taught ceramic artist from Cape Town, South Africa, presently living in Stockholm, Sweden. All of my work is made using hand-building techniques, and each piece stands for its individuality. My work is about my need to connect deeply within myself so my forms are an expression of my emotions.
My porcelain butterknives, on the other hand, was inspired by the practical need to cover my studio costs. It is also a reflection of my South African and Swedish identity, bringing fun to the practical. Also I’m always pleasantly surprised by the heartfelt feedback I receive for my butter knives. It’s truly the small things that matter most…
I mainly work with porcelain clay and at times I wonder why! It has the least plasticity of all clay bodies, one has to let it dry veeerrrry slowly especially when making flatware like my butterknives, warpage is a reality no matter how well you roll it out, dry it and weight it down and it’s the most fragile in its raw state compared to all other clay bodies.
But for all of that, after it’s been through the fire it transforms to the strongest of clay bodies and in its ceramic state, its beauty is unmistakably unique. Porcelain simply keeps me on my toes and, like my creativity, reminds me so much of our humanity. To get the best out of it, we need to honour it.
Alicia Samson
