A Cultural Orphan: Repatriation through Ceramics
A cultural orphan is a person that never been able to feel at home or accepted by either they’re on culture or others. I grew up in Bosnia and then later Wales, having never grown up in my native area I feel isolated from it. These pieces are made taking inspiration from Scandinavian design and Scandinavian culture. Having been culturally isolated from Norway for most of my life finding my way through Scandinavia was an eye-opening experience. Attempting to reconnect myself and repatriate to Norway was my main goal with these pieces. Making such a personal journey out of this has been an interesting experience. Attempting to understand the region that I am from through the eyes of ceramics has cultivated a relationship with the region that has led to a permanent impact on my practice.
These pieces are wheel thrown and reduction fired. The wheel has become my main tool when making objects. The feeling of throwing and the connection that I feel with the clay is something that is hard to replicate with other methods. I decided on using reduction as my firing method because the qualities that can be achieved are the most similar and connected to Scandinavian design. Not only for the shine but also what id does to colour, Creating faded and subverted colour.
Unigolyn diwylliannol amddifad yw rhywun sydd erioed wedi gallu teimlo’n gartrefol neu wedi’i dderbyn gan ei ddiwylliant ei hun neu rai eraill. Cefais fy magu ym Mosnia, ac yn ddiweddarach yng Nghymru, ac oherwydd na wnes i erioed dyfu i fyny yn fy mamwlad, rwy’n teimlo ar wahân iddi. Lluniwyd y darnau hyn gan droi at ddylunio a diwylliant Llychlynnaidd am ysbrydoliaeth. Oherwydd i mi gael fy ynysu’n ddiwylliannol o Norwy am y rhan fwyaf o’m bywyd, roedd crwydro drwy wledydd Llychlyn yn agoriad llygad. Fy mhrif nod gyda’r darnau hyn oedd ceisio ailgysylltu ac ailgartrefu yn Norwy. Mae troi hyn yn daith mor bersonol wedi bod yn brofiad diddorol. Mae ceisio deall y wlad lle mae fy ngwreiddiau drwy lygaid cerameg wedi meithrin perthynas â’r rhanbarth sydd wedi cael effaith barhaol ar fy ymarfer.
Mae’r darnau hyn yn cael eu taflu ar olwyn a’u tanio’n rhydwythiol. Erbyn hyn, yr olwyn yw fy null pennaf o greu gwrthrychau. Mae’r teimlad o daflu a’r cysylltiad rwy’n ei deimlo â’r clai yn rhywbeth sy’n anodd ei ail-greu gyda dulliau eraill. Penderfynais ddefnyddio rhydwythiad fel dull tanio oherwydd mai dyna sy’n cyflawni’r priodweddau a’r cysylltiad tebycaf â dyluniad Llychlynnaidd. Nid yn unig oherwydd y disgleirdeb, ond oherwydd y lliwiau pŵl a gwyrdroëdig sy’n cael eu creu gan y broses.
