Works by ceramic artists Amanda Rybicka, of Mowbray, and Nada Spencer, of Pinelands, have been selected as part of the inaugural SA Clay Awards and will be exhibited at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery.

The awards by the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery and Clay Museum recognise mastery and creativity in the ceramics field.

The pieces by Ms Rybicka and Ms Spencer were among the 50 selected for display at the gallery in Durbanville until Saturday December 7.

Ten international and local panellists – ranging from ceramic artists to academics – helped to assess the works. Each chose their top 50 pieces, and the 50 pieces that secured the most votes from 45 artists made the final selection.

“A collection of pieces like this shows you the wonder of clay, and what clay can do. The concept for this exhibition has long intrigued me – it aims to present a diverse, unbiased collection of clay works that go beyond the singular perspective of any curator or gallery. An embodiment of excellence, richness, expression, concept, and craftsmanship,” said ceramic artist Hennie Meyer, the exhibition’s curator.

Ms Rybicka she she had loved worked with clay from childhood. She studied at the Michaelis School of Fine Arts and majored in sculpture but focused more on cast-making and felting dog fur.

“The first time I walked into the ceramics department, I thought the kiln props were dog bones and only realised years later what they actually were. It was after I left university that I got the opportunity to delve into the wild world of ceramics by teaching kids’ pottery classes with Tania Babb. This was when I learned how to pack kilns and had plenty of practice glazing hundreds of little creations made by the kids. Working with children has solidified a sense of play in my work. Experiencing raw creativity every day has definitely shaped my artistic journey,” she said.

Amanda Rybicka’s work, Fitzy Goes to Therapy. PICTURES: SUPPLIED

Describing what went into creating her work, Fritzy Goes to Therapy, Ms Rybicka said each Fritzy character started off as a sketch based on a feeling.

“I worked with the concept of art therapy when developing each of Fritzy’s personalities. From there, I constructed each of Fritzy’s features separately, assembling them like a child playing with Lego. I constructed the rest of the body with a mixture of slabs and hand moulding. It’s almost like a surgery, cutting and shaping as I go until a Fritzy is born,” she said.

“Telling my students, who have watched the Fritzy family grow, that Fritzy has been recognised was a win for all of us. When I told my kids’ pottery group, they took pride in being taught by someone who has been recognised for their ceramics. Fritzy has grown from a continuous line drawing as a form of art therapy to a tangible creature bursting with personality. It’s strange - I am more excited about Fritzy being recognised than I am about myself.”

She advises aspiring artists to have fun, experiment and find other ceramic artists to talk to about their methods.

“Be curious, explore the medium, and push it beyond its limitations. Not everything you create needs to be beautiful. Keep notes, make test tiles, and protect yourself from people who put you down. Just as our ancestors evolved with their work, evolve with your own and push through.”

Ms Spencer was in her early 20s when she walked into a Paternoster gallery where she saw a collection of South African ceramics that inspired her.

“It was the first time I really took note of handmade ceramics, and I was fascinated. As I picked up and admired a small Hennie Meyer jug, I knew that ceramics is what I wanted to pursue. Before I discovered ceramics, I loved to draw and paint, and I still incorporate those techniques in my work.”

She said her work was always changing and she was constantly exploring.

“With my large vases I start off with slabs of clay and a selected colour palette of slips and under glazes. After layering of the slips and my own screen-printed images and stencils, the clay is manipulated and the vase is assembled. My vases are not meticulously planned beforehand, rather they evolve during the making process.

“Clay is a wonderfully versatile and expressive medium which certainly has its place in the contemporary art scene. It is wonderful to see so many South African ceramic artists excelling and exhibiting globally.”

It could be difficult for aspiring ceramic artists to learn the craft due to the lack of formal training institutions, she said.

“I would encourage anyone interested in pursuing ceramics to join a teaching studio of an artist whose work they admire and then to attend various workshops to up-skill yourself. It is also beneficial to join organisations such as Ceramics Southern Africa.”

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