Diving into the clay - Clementina van der Walt

Diving into the clay - Clementina van der Walt

IN SEARCH OF PLENTY

I am thrilled to have my vase featured on the cover of Oded Schwartz's latest edition of his 'In Search of Plenty'. This book traces the history of Jewish cooking throughout the Diaspora and in Israel and provides a fascinating description of the origins, both practical and religious, of Jewish cuisine. There are some recipes, but for more of these visit Oded's Kitchen either online or at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock where you can sample his delicious preserves and other delicacies.

REUBEN COOKS LOCAL

I am delighted to have my plates featured on many of the pages in this superb new recipe book brought out by Quivertree. Reuben says that the plates make his food sing...I say that his food provides the decoration on my plates!

In this, his second cookbook, renowned South African chef Reuben Riffel shares his favourite local ingredients, highlighting seasonal items and South African producers.

‘The easy instructions allow you to capture the flavours of South Africa —whether from sea, earth, field or orchard — simply and successfully in your own kitchen, producing dishes guaranteed to become instant favourites with family and friends’

JOS BAKER

NEW HORIZONS

I am designing some new pieces for the Designer Maker Artisan Christmas market to be held in December at the Freeworld Design Centre - quite excited about this combination of content which I usually apply on wall tiles or cups and now translating it into fun plates.

COLOUR IN GLAZES

A new book by Linda Bloomfield coming out this November...my beakers on the cover...so fabulous!

Colour in Glazes (New Ceramics) [Paperback]

"The tears of the world are a constant quantity. ..

GODOT

HAPPY DAYS

"The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops."
Samuel Beckett (Pozzo in Waiting for Godot)
Beckett has been my inspiration for these 2 panels above currently on show 'From the table to the wall and back' at Kim Sacks Gallery in Johannesburg.

JUDAICA PANEL COMMISSION

Recently I completed a panel where the client requested that I incorporate some selected passages in Hebrew from the Psalms and also iconography depicting the major holidays in the Jewish calendar in a non-cliched and somewhat cryptic way.

Details of the panel can be seen in the images above as well as the completed panel with my assistant, Adonis, who, together with Albie, my partner, installed the tiles directly on to the wall.

This project required some extensive research which I really enjoyed, as well as the challenge of putting all the visual components together into a composite whole.

CREATIVE STUDIO

Adonis working on a platter

Sandile working on tiles

Muriel glazing her animal farm

Tommy making a figurine sculpture

Today the artist Tommy Motswai came to work in the studio. His energy permeated the space and everyone was very focused in individual creative activities...the day has been warm and a sense of spring in the air!

FUTURE CERAMICS RENAISSANCE?

'Ceramics seems very important in Korea. Its ancient past is defined by styles of pottery. The ubiquitous onggi pot holds a family’s precious store of kimchee, hopefully enough to see it through the winter. And with the Gyeonggi Ceramix Biennale, Korea has established the key international event in the world of ceramics.'

These are the opening lines of an extremely interesting review of the Gyeonggi Ceramix Biennale by Kevin Murray -

Korean Gyeonggi Ceramix Biennale 2011–site of a future ceramics renaissance?