Elena Renker

For me a tea bowl is a perfect combination of functional and sculptural elements. It allows the
processes of making the bowls to be visible in the finished pieces, the marking of the clay, the
partial glazing and the effects of the fire and ash from the firing. My aim is not perfection, on
the contrary, to me it is the imperfections that make the tea bowls come alive.
These tea bowls were formed with quick, gestural movements using the Japanese Kurinuki
technique. I carve and cut the shape out of solid blocks of stoneware clay. The pieces are then
hollowed out to form the inside space. They are decorated with an iron slip, glazed in various
shino style glazes and fired in my wood kiln for 15 to 18 hours to 1300°C.

對我來說，茶碗是雕塑與功能元素的完美組合。在最終的成品上，可以看出製作過程留下的
痕跡，包含陶土上的刻痕、局部的流釉、燒窯過程中火與灰的影響等。目標不在於完美；對
我來說，反而是那些不完美賦予了茶碗生命。
這些茶碗是利用源自日本的挖空技法，透過快速的手法塑形。我從整塊陶土中切割出想要的
形狀後，再挖空形成內部的空間。然後利用鐵質化妝土裝飾，並使用多種志野釉風格的釉藥，
最後在柴窯中燒製 15 到 18 小時，以1300°C 燒成。