The Poetry of African Clay - SOLO

One of my finer collections of ceramics, has to be this collection of 80 pieces at my recent exhibition, The Poetry of African Clay at Ebony/Curated in Franschhoek. 

Inspired by Africa, the colours, the textures, the landscapes and the polarities in every day life. I spent a year literally building up this collection. 

The collection depicts a sense of sophisticated style yet maintaining a freedom in colour and design that are often so integral in my work. 

A Little Bit of Play with a Little Bit of Clay - Let's call it MEMPHIS!

I've always done things a bit differently, pushing design limits in shape, colour and texture. I've never been able to conform to conservative design trends. Instead I express my creativity through experimentation. At times, my work may have "toned down" a bit but at other times it depicted my wild side, the playful element where design rules get thrown out the window and I just create what feels right. My latest range, Memphis is just that. It's a platform to break all rules, play a bit and explore my creative freedom. This is my take on a kind of "Modern Memphis", throwing in random shapes of colour yet still preserving my basic fundamental forms that have modestly evolved into the latest Clementina ranges; Afro Deco, Afro Retro and now Memphis. 

Afro Retro in My Studio

Having developed several ranges throughout my ceramics career, I'm always driven by the desire to change, develop and create something new in my work. My latest range, the Afro Retro Range, aims to reawaken a nostalgic artistic era, of modern funk and 70's decor, spiced up with a contemporary African edge. 

Pastels overlap a thick black glaze forming an unusual contrast of light and dark, with an exciting middle ground where the colours blend unpredictably. The forms have taken on a new look - simple shapes with Retro inspired spouts and angular handles.