In 2023 I hosted webinars with prominent ceramic artists who work with topics of environment, human rights, peace and so on. Under a bit facetious title 'Saving the World as a Potter' this series was aimed at empowering peer ceramicists on their way towards sustainability.
Terracotta Warriors: Personal Stories of Ceramic Artists vs. War
Military conflicts are raging all over the world, causing chaos and claiming millions of lives. What can artists and creative persons like you offer as a response to war? How to continue one's art practice when the world seems to fall apart? These ceramicists found their unique ways to make a stand for freedom and peace and are ready to share their expertise.
This event features:
Ivan Hryhorchuk, Ukraine. Self-taught ceramic artist, founder of Viter Ceramics teaware studio and a father of two.
'Living in Bucha suburbs, we as a family faced war in its full, gruesome swing from the very first days of the invasion. After our village was liberated from russian troops we came back home and continued our work as an opportunity to draw attention to Ukraine. We share part of our proceeds with charities'.
Nadiia Otriazha, Ukraine. Ceramics sculptor and art worker.
'I currently work on my sculptures in Dnipro, a city 100 kilometers from the front line. Also I work at a municipal company and we help with war-related exhibitions, giving a platform for people to share art, for instance, war documentary films'.
Ehren Tool, USA. A potter who has made and given away more than 25,000 war-themed cups since 2001. He is a US Marine Corps Veteran of the '91 Gulf War. He now works in the ceramics lab in the Department of Art Practice at UC Berkeley.
'I just make cups'.
Earth-Friendly Kiln Firing: Artists Pioneering Low Carbon Ceramics
Firing is by far the most carbon-intensive stage of ceramic production. Burning all the fuel needed to heat the pots up to 1000C releases CO2, contributing to the climate crisis. Is there a way to fire our kilns more sustainably without compromising quality and aesthetics?
This event features:
Dr. Steve Harrison, Australia ‒ A 'Dig-it-all Native' and famous author of books about local material usage and laid-back wood firing. Steve builds his smoke-free kilns that operate on dead branches (the so-called ‘vegan wood firing') or solar power and is known to have survived a recent massive wildfire in one of his kilns.
Denise Joyal, USA ‒ An Adjunct Professor of Ceramics at Wilson College, known for her atmospheric-fired forms inspired by Neolithic Irish stone constructs. Denise examines the carbon footprint of different kiln types and has developed a universal carbon & cost calculator that she will introduce at the webinar.
Jesse Jones, USA ‒ A civil engineer and potter who runs Pleasant Hill Pottery, home to five wood-fired kilns. He has developed and refined techniques to use Waste Vegetable Oil as supplementary fuel in wood-fired kilns and shares his know-how through articles and workshops.
Zero Waste Pottery: Artists Who Throw, But Don't Throw Away
Ceramic studio waste can be a dread to deal with and it may pollute the environment, too. Nasty clay reclaim, broken pots, mixed glaze sludge, toxic oxides and unwanted packaging materials is something we as ceramicists face daily. But is it a curse or a blessing? And how can we treat waste in order to save time, money and nature?
This event features:
Shashank Nimkar, Founder & CEO of Earth Tatva Recycled Ceramics, India
'I thought why not create a new material (…) using which all of us can continue creating beautiful and functional products at the same time save natural resources for the future generations'.
Lotte Douwes, Founder of Studio Lotte Douwes, Netherlands
'If you can’t fully recycle or reuse it, don’t make it'.
Responsible Clay: Dig, Buy or Make from Waste?
Clays and ceramic bodies are the primary elements of pottery. While clay is an abundant natural material, its usage is not without environmental concerns. Think giant mines, industrial processing waste, and overseas shipping. How do we make sure our passion for clay doesn't harm landscapes and local people, as well as the global climate?
This event features:
Sara Howard, ceramicist, researcher and author of 'Circular Ceramics', UK/Indonesia
Sara is an award-winning ceramic designer and materials researcher with a focus on sourcing, developing and implementing sustainable materials for ceramic production at all scales.
Anastasiia Tomashivska, potter and owner of TomashPottery, Ukraine/Romania
Anastasiia is a seasoned practitioner in the usage of local wild clays and ash glazes with various plant ash. She has built one of the first anagama kilns in Ukraine. After the beginning of the full scale Russian invasion, Anastasiia had to relocate her family and practice to Romania.
