CERAMIC LABORATORY X
10th International Ceramic Art Symposium
Ten years ago, an ambitious idea envisioned an international ceramic art symposium, which might someday become one of the most visible ceramic events in the global art space. Ten years on, it won’t be an overstatement to say that the bold idea has materialised, having made Daugavpils into a real ceramic metropolis, known near and far for its Ceramic Laboratory Symposium, the Latvia Ceramics Biennale and high-quality exhibitions at the Mark Rothko Art Centre.
Across the past decade, the symposium has attracted artists from all continents except Antarctica. Local creators have drawn from global experiences, while international artists worldwide have found inspiration in Latvian ceramicists and their endless enthusiasm for the medium and its development.
With no thematic restrictions to curb their creativity, the symposium participants spend two weeks experimenting in laboratory-like conditions, testing different materials, firing techniques and processing methods. The anniversary symposium brought together artists from seven countries, and their work reflects their individual creative pursuits. Thematically, it ranges from natural motifs to post-humanist reflections, from folklore to current events and pressing concerns, while the design borders on figurative expression, but material exploration adds a functional touch.
The exhibition is both a joint project and a sum of distinct individual efforts – the artists were together in choosing the materials, but each did their own sculpting; the merits of different artistic values were discussed in a group, but everyone came to their own decision on which to embrace here and now; the kilns were tended and fed, sweating side by side to keep them going, but everyone had their own piece of work in their fiery bellies.
Symposium participants
Rasa Justaitė Gecevičienė (Lithuania)
Andrii Ilinskiy (Ukraine)
Ingrid Allik (Estonia)
Alicja Buławka Fankidejska (Poland)
Dmitrij Buławka Fankidejski (Poland)
Elīna Titāne (Latvia)
Hanna Miadzvedzeva (Latvia)
Delia Maxim (Romania)
Lauris Krauze (Latvia)
Una Gura (Latvia)
Lilija Zeiļa (Latvia)
Nellija Dzalba (Latvia)
Ilona Abdulajeva (Latvia).
