Ceramics

Madina:
Let’s talk a little about the feeling of making ceramics. Pinching clay by hand is one of the most relaxing feelings. It is immensely enjoyable when you touch the soil with your hand and mix it with water. You get rid of anxiety, depression and other mental disorders and give yourself peace by giving the lump of earth the shape of a flower and turning it into a valuable object. Pottery by hand and without a wheel can be done anywhere and does not require a special space like a workshop for this artistic profession. This is one of the reasons that pottery by hand is more popular for us than pottery with a wheel. There are different methods for making ceramics by hand: 1, pressing (by finger) or pinch 2-wick or coil 3-sheet (flat) or slab – curved, concave or convex. 

We must have good clay to make quality ceramics. The first step is to prepare clay for pottery by mixing clay and water. Great care must be taken to prepare a suitable clay that is neither too thin nor too thick. When pouring water into the clay, and kneading it, cracks may appear in the walls of the vessel. And then all your efforts will be wasted. It needs to be kneaded like a pastry dough. You hit it with your fist until the air bubbles that are hidden in the layers of clay are removed. Finger method (pinch) is one of the easiest ways to shape clay. Pressing the finger will raise the wall of the clay and with slow upward movements, you can give it the shape you want. Pinching creates small ceramic pieces preserving your very fingerprints in the work – unique, original and beautiful.

We are using commercial and wild clay. Blatuša is a small place near the Bosnian border. With our friends, we went there to gather different shades of clay. White, red, pink and yellow, beautiful Blatuša clay, is very soothing to work with. We also make glaze with it. 

The dug up earth, with water, is left in a bucket for a few days. Then we see and judge if it is any good. After passing the clay through a very small sieve, it is deposited into a cloth sack, hanged on a tree in the yard of the Atelier. The clay shouldn’t be too dry or too wet. It takes sometimes four to five days, but some types can take up to 10 days and still be too moist. On the other hand, clay from Grmošćica, in the western part of Zagreb, is dry enough already after three days. 

In Iran I’ve only ever seen pink clay, but now I’m looking at all those wild clays and I find them so beautiful. Among all types of local earth we collected and tried, I prefer Blatuša, Grmoščica and Petrinja. Blatuša earth has some kaolin, a good material for glaze. Glaze is made by adding a small amount of vinegar to clay and water, or other materials like sand, ash or shells. Each wild glaze is tested to see how it reacts and transforms in the kiln at 1300 degrees Celsius. If the clay melts at that temperature it can create beautiful forms, but also destroy kilns, so we are careful. We have used clay from Maksimir for years and we were certain it was perfect for high temperatures. But on one occasion, we had clay from three different locations in Maksimir, and one of those melted at high temperature. Some cups became purely decorative–it would be better not to drink out of them. But some of the pieces turned out beautiful even if they weren’t planned –  a cup with small bubbles came out of the kiln. Many think it is a mistake but I think it looks lovely.

Everyone has their own idea of what is a good cup. I don’t decide in advance what I will do. I just take clay and play with it – sometimes it transforms into a cup, sometimes a bowl, a teapot or a flower. It has its own will. Just yesterday I came to the Atelier to make a cup, but, as I was pinching it, of its own volition, it decided to become a bowl. When I work with my hands, I don’t even add water if I’m trying to fix some cracks. My friend Arpy says I probably have water coming out of my fingers. 

I’d never worked with clay before coming to Živi Atelje DK. The first time was in a workshop that Živi Atelje DK organized with Anja Slapničar and then later with Lidia Boševski. I was very tired and was thinking “Why clay? I don’t want to do that.” When I returned to the Atelier another day I remember calling my friend and telling her “Nooo, they are working with clay again!” But I made a cup and people started saying “Wow, this is a nice cup!” Sometimes it takes other people to recognize you and your work so you yourself can get energy and confidence. It gave me power. Now I do it every day. If I’m sad, I come, play with clay, and I feel better.

Mensura:
I don’t work with ceramics, I get “srklet” from dirty hands. This is a Bosnian word, it denotes creeps, shivers and more. During my whole childhood I was forced to  wash my hands, so I try not to get my hands dirty, muddy in any way. My contribution is in making textile packaging for products, so I also feel part of the ceramics team. I found a way to feel comfortable, yet  to help the group. And I truly feel accepted.