Mariella Verkerk is a ceramicist from the Netherlands living and working in Scotland for the past seven years. She spent the first four years in Dundee studying Fine Art and now lives in Glasgow practicing at Fireworks Ceramic Studio. Here she details her artistic process when creating her distinct work.

I love working with anything I can get my hands on, print, wood, metal, textiles. It’s fun to make things which have some kind of interactive element which people can take part in. For example, squeezing your own lemonade or burning a paper mache goddess on a bonfire with baked potatoes in her belly to eat in a big feast. Making sculptures, or functional things or making food and music events all roll into one if they are all important, which I think they are.

At the moment I work mostly in clay and paint posters. I like throwing clay on the wheel, and sculpting on to them and paint them with coloured slip. I do not like to be too precious and there is so much to learn so I am constantly experimenting with shapes and paint differently as I go, ending up with quite a mixed bag of designs. I work to what I enjoy at the time, playing with mud is really fun… and it turns out I like to paint faces more than I thought. Some pieces are more like sculptures but their functionality is important to me because it can become part of your small everyday rituals and add beauty and happiness to a day and home.

I am exited to be collaborating with a woodworker right now as I think that collaborating is an interesting way to go with ceramics.

I have done a couple head cup painting workshops in my studio where people get a cup which has ears and they get to make it into whoever. I will be running new workshops in the new year…and am also planning to do more food/ceramic projects because to me they are always a good combination.

Look here for more information about the Firework Ceramic Studio.

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