During my studies at Central Saint Martins I paid more and more attention to the process of making itself. I was not only interested in the physical outcome after firing the ceramics. I also became interested in engaging with the different stages of clay, observing the material, learning from it and stepping into a dialogue between myself and the organic material. You see, clay is very body-like. When paying attention we can notice similarities to our own body, how it feels, how it moves, its flexibility and restrictions. If we pay attention we can learn a lot about ourselves and even life.
At the same time I wanted to look deeper into the idea that working with clay is a mindful activity. People keep referring to throwing on the wheel or touching the clay as being so meditative. But what makes an activity a meditative or mindful one? I believe the interaction with clay becomes meditative and mindful, once we put our focus and attention to it. That happens very intuitively when we engage in an activity for the first time, like visiting a beginners ceramic class. Then our beginner’s mind is activated and we are fully present in the moment paying attention to every little gesture and material change. But once gestures become normal and known to us, it takes focus, intention and awareness to not get lost in external thoughts or chats with studio members.
Overall, Clay Meditation is a method, informed by my studies at Central Saint Martins including material research, body clay experiments that I developed and my artistic performances in combination with my personal meditation and yoga practice and my experiences from a 10-day silent meditation retreat.
I look deep inside myself for inspiration. My investigations are informed by my personal experiences as a forced right-hander and the resulting challenges of this body-mind dis-connect.
I started working with clay when I was 6 years old. Clay became my teacher in so many ways. It helped me in difficult times of my life and allowed me to express myself in multiple ways. I want to inspire others to learn to slow down, to truly observe and listen to the qualities of clay. In our everyday life things like touching organic matter, having haptic experiences or tactile moments have become a rare good. We are losing a huge potential of our brain through the lack of gestures in our daily lives. At the same time we rush from one activity to the next while missing the beauty of the moment. I like to invite people to slow down, to reconnect again with the moment, themselves and their potential, while contributing to a more mindful and meaningful world.