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| Eva Champagne firing the wood-soda kiln at Guldagergaard, Denmark--before her face was completely covered in soot! |
Eva Champagne is an amazing sculptor/ceramicist I got to know as a fellow grad student at the University of Montana. She has done lots of residencies since grad school, and she just returned from her most recent one in Denmark. I am continually blown away by her work, and feel lucky to have caught up with her-- she is quite the master. You'll see. Here's her story!
EVA CHAMPAGNE
I’m primarily a sculptor, however my pragmatic side is attracted to making functional objects. For fourteen years I worked in the restaurant business as a server as well as a cook; making pots for use is in keeping with this background as well.
Making things by hand is fundamental to who I am. I feel grounded by it, and am convinced that making things with one’s hands is a dignified thing to do. I believe there is an ineffable quality to handmade things, whether art, functional, edible, adornments, whatever, that affirms our interconnectedness, not only between maker and viewer/handler, but between ourselves and the materials used, and by extension, the world at large. It is a real-time, tangible, humanizing experience to make and to use handmade items. We may have all kinds of technologies that make handmade things seem anachronistic, but we are still flesh and blood, and I feel we need them in our lives.
I grew up in Hong Kong and was surrounded by the rich decorative traditions of China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia through furniture, pottery, metal wares, cloisonne, silk fabrics, etc. This experience has had an immeasurable influence on the development of my creative aesthetic and sense of beauty. Of at least equal impact has been my enduring fascination with the forms and processes of nature, both for their own sake and as metaphors for the human experience. I still cook, and find studio practices to be related to kitchen practices, especially with regard to the necessity of quality ingredients, careful, respectful preparation, and a presence of mind that can respond to the materials at hand in the moment and with inspiration. I love the practicality of pottery, and also the way a good handmade pot has a presence that can elevate a mundane event, like your morning cup of coffee, into something intentional, reflective. I'm encouraged by the connections made with people who enjoy using my pots. I'm inspired by the process and dazzling effects of soda firing, and by the sometimes very fine line distinguishing a funky dud from a beautiful treasure.
This life is something to celebrate, and there are as many ways to do that as there are people. I’m grateful to be able to get mucky in my studio and make objects that become a part of other people’s celebrations, be they a peaceful cup of tea or a boisterous basket of summer blossoms.
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Take a look at Eva's Treasury--each link is clickable and will take you right to her Etsy store. So many reasons to check it out--Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. ! Also, she is offering FREE SHIPPING through May 21st, when she'll be closing up shop for the summer.
Thank you so much, Eva for being our featured artist this week!
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'Cup Heaven!' by EvaChampagneCeramics
I love making cups, and it probably shows.
 Mug $32.00 |  Little cup $18.00 |  Mug $32.00 |
 Tumbler $28.00 |  Tall mug $32.00 |  Mug $32.00 |
 Little cup $18.00 |  Mug $32.00 |  Mug $32.00 |
 Tumbler $28.00 |  Mug $32.00 |  Tumbler $28.00 |
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Click here to see Eva's fine art website:
Hey Pamela, What a great article about Eva and her work. A unique life, gorgeous work!
ReplyDeleteCarol, Amity Farm Batik artworks etsy .com