During the Covid-19 lockdown last year, ceramicist Sukanjana Kanjanabatr calmed herself by making circular clay shapes following the temporary closure of her studio. Thousands of the thin and circular pieces later were developed into 13 porcelain artworks that are on display at the ceramics exhibition, "A Practice Of Slowing Down", at Offbeat Box.
"The clay pieces were developed from my previous artwork that exhibited at the 19th National Ceramics Exhibition in 2018. My artworks at that time were very fragile. They could be broken easily if pressed hard. The delicacy made those works difficult to keep. I came up with an ingredient that can make thin clay stronger after being heated. I titled the exhibition 'A Practice Of Slowing Down' because making circular clay shapes repeatedly helped me to stay by myself in silence and to slow down. Life in Bangkok is fast, hectic and stressful. My experiment of making thin but strong porcelain helped me to understand ceramics and myself. I can appreciate things in front of me and find happiness more easily," said Sukanjana.
Before becoming a ceramicist, Sukanjana was an interior designer for three years after graduating from Chulalongkorn University's school of architecture. But the itinerant artist did not enjoy sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time. She decided to quit and explore other skills such as woodworking, fabric sewing and pottery.
"Ceramics has its charm. It is an unpredictable material. We do not know exactly how it will look after the firing process. There are many factors that we cannot control such as the type of clay or coating or firing temperature. I collected my ceramic designs and developed a portfolio. When my friend told me that a Japanese artist was looking for an apprentice, I applied for the position," said Sukanjana.
In 2013, Sukanjana went to Japan to learn more about ceramics from an artist for a month at the Itsue Ito Ceramic School in Miyazaki. The Japanese artist inspired her to continue working on ceramics and helped her to understand more about the life of a ceramic artist.
Clay art pieces were created in thin and circular shapes.
"It was not easy to be a ceramic artist in Japan since there are many ceramic masters. The artist whom I worked for was very disciplined. She said she could not stop working. If she stopped, she would disappear due to high competition. She managed her own routine and stuck to it. The artist exercised every day because working on ceramics requires a lot of physical work. I also exercise to keep a flexible body," explained Sukanjana.
Sukanjana returned to Thailand and became an apprentice for the Thai ceramicist Aor Sutthiprapa for six months. This time, she learned more techniques and understood how to survive in the industry. In 2016, Sukanjana set up her Trampoline Studio, where she teaches ceramics enthusiasts.
"Social media platforms are important since they are showcases where people can see your work. Some customers contact me through social media. Trampoline Studio is like a community for ceramic enthusiasts. When I worked by myself, it was difficult to get inspiration and ask for advice. At Trampoline, young ceramicists can ask questions and work on their own designs," said Sukanjana.
Sukanjana's artworks stand out for their aesthetic structures and shapes due to her architectural background. The curator at Offbeat Box, Linzie Says, described her work with the Japanese aesthetic philosophy wabi-sabi, which refers to rustic simplicity and taking pleasure in the imperfection. After working on ceramics for two years, her art collection won second place from a total of 150 artists in the "Bangkok Clay Connections Contest" at HOF Art Gallery in 2014.
Two sake cups exhibited at 'The Essence Of Love' in Hong Kong in 2019. (Photo: Sukanjana Kanjanabatr)
"The other art pieces were terrific, but I probably received the award because my art collection was different due to my thinking process, which I have from my architectural background," she said.
In 2018, Sukanjana participated in the "Public Garden Trade Show" in Singapore and "Lump Ceramics Market" in Hong Kong. A year later, the Thai ceramicist displayed her artworks at a group exhibition, "The Essence Of Love", in Hong Kong. Sukanjana was much impressed with "Lump Ceramics Market" in Hong Kong, which gathered international ceramic designers.
"It was a gathering of ceramicists. It was fantastic to meet with the designers responsible for such impressive creations. I had fun exchanging ideas with them. At 'The Essence Of Love', every ceramicist had to design two cups. I created two sake cups. I tried to make the clay very thin, but the base of the cup had to be thick in order to carry the weight of the sake in the cup. This was challenging since thin and thick clay have different shrinkage levels when fired," she said.
Sukanjana particularly likes porcelain because of its hard, white and translucent properties. The ceramicist said porcelain can be made very thin, but still keeps its shape and form. Most of the art pieces at "A Practice Of Slowing Down" are white and circular in form, but there are three pieces of different colours and square in shape.
"I like basic and simple forms, like geometrical forms. I enjoy experimenting with new things. My next collection will have more colours," said the ceramicist.
When mentioning ceramics, many people think about kitchenware and cookware. Sukanjana does not mind if people do not understand her works, but she hopes that her art pieces will make people understand more about ceramics.
"Ceramics can be a lot of things. There are customers who want me to design their lamps. I am happy that my design is another option and they prefer to have custom-made lamps that will be unique and different from others. I hope people come to see the exhibition, so they can see ceramics in other forms. And in May for Bangkok Design Week, I will conduct a workshop with six ceramicists," said Sukanjana.
"A Practice Of Slowing Down" runs until Feb 21 at Offbeat Box, Lat Phrao 21. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/OBBThai or call 082-612-0672.
Colourful porcelain. (Photos: Pornprom Satrabhaya)
