Caroline Schulz Vieira

“Beginning in 1982 in Johannesburg, South Africa, my journey with clay expresses a dialogue with the vessel and its associations – as a container, a space defined by walls or boundaries, and the unapparent yet intimate relationship between the ceramic vessel and architecture – the enclosed spaces we eat out of, and the enclosed spaces we inhabit.

In this context my ceramic work gives voice both to utility as well as aesthetics. I delight in the exploration of forms as carriers of a more personal narrative whose beauty stems from their simplicity and understatement. Utility is given shape in my production work. My utilitarian eat ware is aimed at the display and enjoyment of delicious seasonal foods, be it in the surrounds of a restaurant or around a kitchen table at home.

In recent years my explorations have taken me to the Far East, particularly Japan, where form and finishes have further reduced and simplified my own, relishing in the quietude, the deliberate move away from perfection, the limitless implication, and the inward-looking of the mind.

My work is in stoneware and porcelain, hand-built or wheel-thrown and fired to 1260°C. Surface finishes are kept to a minimum, the slips and glazes intending to define form rather than compete with it.