Alexandra Barto
Farnham
Contemporary handmade ceramic vessels, focussing on moon jar-inspired forms with unique and painterly surfaces.
I took my first ceramics class in 2018, inspired by the work of Yuta Segawa, and started a journey into ceramics that continued my broader experience in the creative arts. My practice had previously been rooted in earth material sculptures and stone carving, so the extension into clay was a natural progression for me. I attend West Street Potters and I have a home studio just outside Farnham.
My work is inspired by the beauty and transience found in nature, and my practice focusses on the dialogue between traditional forms and the elemental qualities of the materials I work with.
My core passion is to elevate and give permanence to the quiet and transitory, and recurring themes are explorations of colour, layered textures and intuitive mark making.
With an emphasis on form and texture, my work has evolved toward moon jar-inspired pieces which appeal to the earthly nature of my practice and also the cultural history of this perfectly imperfect object. Using a dynamic process of layering slips, powder pigments and glazes over the surface, I aim to capture the energy of the making process and link the elemental nature of the clay and maker to the final piece. Each vessel is a one off piece of tactile art evocative of the nature that inspired it.
Key influences include the concept of wabi-sabi and the work of Eddie Curtis, Akiko Hirai and Akira Satake.
My ambitions for the future are to continue my exploration of forms and mark making, and extend my range of techniques to achieve unique and painterly surfaces. I will persue the concept of interralated pieces in my work, and the idea of sets, and I plan to reach out to acclaimed events and galleries to try to further establish my art.
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