ELISE VAN STOLK
Ceramics
ELISE
VAN STOLK
CERAMICS
MATERIALS
CLAY
I work with luscious clays that I source from around the world. Depending on what I envision for a final piece, I will work with high-fire porcelain and stoneware, mid-fire stoneware, low-fire red, black and white earthenware and paper clay.
GLAZE
I prefer the colour and texture of natural clay but when I chose to work with colour, I'll use commercial glazes with a twist - pushing the clay as well as glazes beyond its parameters for a variety of surprising effects.
PRODUCTION
Every piece is individually hand worked, shaped, cut, fired and assembled in my home studio.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I am fascinated by the processes of working with ceramics and negotiating with the most basic elements of earth, water, fire and air; raw materials - made malleable by water, shaped by human hands, hardened by air and fire and which ultimately emerges as a form that exists in, and at times contains, space.
The longer one works with a medium, the more respect is gained for it. Rather than becoming predictable, clay continues to present challenges in an amusing, yet sometimes unsuspecting way. For me, it’s an agreement between artist and material, the expected and the surprise.
An artist can add the human touch to one's living environment that is now lost in the mass produced, throw away objects that surround us. Art and handmade objects add a physical and emotional connection to an artist you've invited to share your existence with.
ELISE VAN STOLK
Born and raised in New York City, Elise van Stolk creates intricate ceramic sculptural pieces. Her work displays a powerful duality between traditional processes and a contemporary aesthetic.
Van Stolk's work consistently demonstrates a love of pattern, texture, colour, structure and construction - a preoccupation no doubt inherited from a family that had worked in the New York City garment industry since the 1920s.
Moving to Hong Kong in 1999, van Stolk was overcome by Asian costume, design and colour. In this respect, her work explores the collaborative mix of two cultures' aesthetic.
The artist's current body of work has moved away from her earlier focus on wheel-based pieces embellished with found objects. Van Stolk is now known for her sculptural garment forms produced in her studio, most notably the beautiful 'kimono' wall sculptures which employ a sophisticated colour palette, stylized silhouettes and a highly decorated surface.
Elise van Stolk most recently lived in Singapore before moving to Chestertown, Maryland in the USA and has been in several international group exhibitions. Her work is held in private collections around the world.
Her recent commissions are on view at The Middle House Hotel & Residences in Shanghai, China, and the dnata Business Class Lounge, Terminal 1, Changi International Airport, Singapore.
COMMISSIONS
My work is produced on a commission basis and is crated and shipped from Singapore.
Please contact me for further information.
CONTACT
