ceramics
Laura de Jong
Please tell us a bit about yourself. What first led you to ceramics?
Hi, I´m Laura, a ceramist based in the Netherlands. I did my Bachelor's in Fine Arts and after that, I traveled to Australia and New Zealand, where I had the chance to start working with clay.
For about two years and a half, I worked at two potteries studios located in Australia and New Zeeland, and somehow it all developed from there naturally. I felt that working with clay was easy to work with, and if I had an idea in my mind I could naturally be able to develop it through clay. So by the time I came back home to the Netherlands, I felt that all these tools I acquired abroad, gave me the peace to settle down. I like to say that clay found me, and then I just went with it.
We know that your grandmother was involved in ceramics. How has the experience of being around her shaped your view about crafts and ceramics particularly?
guess having the chance to discover clay through my grandma, made this material a bit more accessible and familiar to me. I don't know if it was her generation but my grandma was into various types of crafts. She was sewing and making carpets as well, apart from ceramics. I think that she was a more on-herself type of person and more reserved. She came from a generation that had to deal with warm times and I guess she was carrying those scars. I felt that clay was a common language that we had. She use to make sculptures in the shape of animals.
I remember that I used to imitate her work and create animal sculptures as well. Somehow it was a very nice way to get close to her through clay.
Later on, she got very ill and was diagnosed with a severe form of Alzheimer's. At that point, she couldn't work anymore, and she use to communicate through the animal sculpture that she had created through the years. I think that maybe because she use to be a bit lonely in her craft, now in my practice I want to make it as communal as possible, and include as many people. That is what I'm trying with the workshops that I'm running.
Can you take us through your process? Do you have a favorite part of the creation process?
It all starts with choosing the type of clay. I mainly do hand-building, because I really like the organic shape it allows me to develop. After I hand building something, I let it dry for about one or two weeks, and then it all goes in the kiln. Then there is the glazing which is a very technical part, and I would say that it is often a challenging step for me. Firing and opening the kiln is the last part and is a very exciting moment. My favourite part of the process is the hand-building and the surprise from the end.
We know that clay acts differently at each stage of its drying journey and can be considered a challenging material to work with. How do you achieve, or at least get closer, to become less attached to the final result of a piece?
Whenever something fails, I am reminded that I can’t fully control the process. Working with clay often makes you very humble. There is a saying in dutch "fail and then try again”, to which I relate a lot. I think that I don't ever fully surrender because I do have expectations when Im creating something. But one element that helps me to be more flexible is the element of play. When I approach everything in a more playful manner, the things I make, often turn up to be better.
You beautifully wrote on your website that "with my Slow made ceramics I want to make a different sound in this fast-spinning world." Can you share your thoughts on that and more about the importance of inspiring a slow-living philosophy through your practice and pieces?
First of all, I feel that I'm not hearing this message enough, but on the contrary, I´m surrounded by the opposite noise. The slow philosophy and working with clay have been anchors to hold on to, to deal with the world that is going so fast. With time I realised that people connect a lot with this philosophy, and the resonance made me feel that this message is really needed.
The slow approach has been just a way to help me deal with life, to remind myself that everyone has their own path, and in order to find that path sometimes you have to go a bit slower, and to listen to yourself. Slowing down means being closer to yourself or feeling your direction because when you´re running probably you don't feel it. Also, I want to highlight that everyone has their own wisdom when it comes to this topic and should be guided by it.
Can you tell us more about the Workshops in the woods that you host and the importance of developing strong bonds with your community through teaching?
´Clay in the woods´ is only happening in the late spring or summertime when we can go outside. It´s a really seasonal-related activity because in the winter I teach workshops indoors. I started this workshop during covid and it came from a desire to connect and bring people together. Usually, I meet up with the group and start with a walk in the woods. While we walk I often ask them to pay attention to their surroundings, and we sometimes collect berries or chess nuts. Eventually, we sit down on the grass and start working with the clay. We often have very nice conversations about life, be it small things or big things.
I have a lot of women coming to my workshops, and they all share this interest in crafts and are eager to work with their hands or they want to nurture themselves to have more time to be in nature. Bringing women together is a very valuable thing to me and comes naturally since I come from a large family with three sisters. I have a strong pull to sisterhood and connecting with other women and love the fact that this comes back into my work field.
What is your vision for a responsible, resilient, and human-focused future, through crafts?
I see crafts as a key component to keep growing in a healthy direction. Through crafts, we connect with so many elements: nature, others, ourselves, and what we make. I believe it’s really deeply ingrained in our nature the need to connect with these elements, and that the more we move from it the more we crave it.
I also think it’s something that we are not going to lose. I hope that in the future we can move forward but also integrate the knowledge that we have from the past into the current present.
What upcoming projects make you excited right now?
I'm excited about Von Hand festival, which is taking place in Burg Waldeck in Dorweiler, Germany. I will be there as a ceramic teacher. I’m also working on preparing the wild clay workshop and on finding a way to source my own clay and make it available as well for others. My goal is to be more outside in nature. I'm also excited about my next trip to Portugal, where I'm planning to run "In the woods workshops".
Where and how can people engage more with your work?
People can engage through my social media account here and website here and well as the festival that I previsouly mentioned. Pictures by Maryse Aalbers and Rosa van der Wal
