Matilda Leake The fire's mark: Japanese tradition meets Western expressionism

In order to create a piece of ceramic art one must submit a raw clay form, a product of hours of labour, skill and knowledge, to the force of fire. But it is the unpredictable nature of wood-firing that adds a sense of excitement, even risk, to each piece. My work explores the traditional Japanese wood-firing process coupled with an expressionistic and abstract treatment of clay. This subversion from function is an attempt to celebrate clay’s potential as an art form by tackling verticality, typically identified with a canvas or gallery space.