FROM EARTH TO ART: FREYA BRAMBLE-CARTER'S CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS
As far back as one goes in time, the works of humanity from prehistoric times have reached us not through stone which crumbles and wears away, or through metal which oxidizes and becomes like powder, but through slabs of pottery, the writing on which is as clear today as it was under the stiletto of the scribe who traced it.
Bernard Leach, A Potter’s Book
А sanctuary of clay and creativity in London: a workshop of Freya Bramble-Carter, a ceramist whose very essence is intertwined with the earth.
Born into a family where art and craft form the foundation of daily life, Freya's journey into the world of ceramics was almost predestined.
Her father, Chris Bramble, is a renowned ceramics artist and teacher. Their shared studio space at Kingsgate Workshops is a symbolic nexus of their shared passion and individual artistic quests.
Freya's work is a material reflection of her belief in the soulful essence of clay and its ability to infuse spaces with energy and inspiration. From the delicate intricacies of her homewares to the bold statements of her sculptural pieces, each creation speaks about her creative philosophy: that art is not just seen but felt.
Failure with clay was more complete and more spectacular than with other forms of art. You are subject to the elements. Any one of the old four – earth, air, fire, water – can betray you and melt, or burst, or shatter – months of work into dust and ashes and spitting steam. You need to be a precise scientist, and you need to know how to play with what chance will do to your lovingly constructed surfaces in the heat of the kiln.
A. S. Byatt, The Children’s Book
Freya's creative process is as fluid and unpredictable as the natural forces that inspire her. Her studio, a dichotomy of chaos and order, mirrors the cyclic nature of creativity. Order and chaos, structure and freedom – ever-evolving, refusing to be confined by a singular style or expression.
Her connection to clay is profoundly sensorial. This bond is rooted in a childhood filled with tactile explorations, from garden mud to the diverse textures of an urban landscape.
Clay is a unique material, offering lessons in patience, resilience, and the beauty of imperfection. Its endless possibilities and inherent connection to the earth is the artist's greatest muse. The process of transforming a humble lump of clay into a piece of art is a form of alchemy, an act of co-creation with nature.
A vessel is formed from a lump of clay with care, however, it is the empty space within the vessel that makes it useful.
Laozi
At pottery classes, in her Freya's Clay Club, she opens the doors of her world to others, to share the joy and challenges of working with clay. Freya’s teaching philosophy, shaped by her father's mentorship, is one of gentle guidance, encouraging her students to find their own connection with the material, to not be afraid of it, to listen to it, to get their hands dirty and allow them to tell their own stories.
Strong and delicate, requiring immense mastery to create, while taking just one reckless movement to break, Freya's immensely beautiful ceramics are a direct portrayal of human lives, feelings and connections.
