LEADING DRAGONS

Photography by udita chaturvedi; ceramics by ange sabine; both photographed by udita chaturvedi Peter shapes clay using the brain of a philosopher, the hands of a talented craftsman, and a blend of indigenous and Japanese inventiveness in technique as her handy tool… ange was born in germany but raised in pondicherry, india. she was raised against the rich background of colorful indian stories and is proficient in a number of languages, including English, Hindi, and Telugu. Since Angel was a Puducherrian, the Golden Bridge Pottery was a natural draw for her. She began her apprenticeship there shortly after, learning from the seasoned professionals Deborah Smith and Ray Meeker. ‘her skill is unmatchable, ‘ a friend and ceramist named Betina Mistry remarks, and one could not agree more wholeheartedly with her assessment. ange has brought porcelain to life via a careful combination of contemporary art and traditional craft work at her first major solo show, which was held at the habitat center in Delhi and only recently came to a close (on September 22, 2013). Her show ‘offerings ‘ centered on dragons and the representation of the haiyu slipware method. Dragons were the primary source of inspiration for her work. Her exquisite designs on porcelain express brightness via delicate tones of red, gold, blue, and green, some of which are one-of-a-kind. She is the first ceramist to introduce the indigenous technique of haiyu slipware outside of Japan. ‘The teapot represents the traditional style of craft, while dragons reflect the evolutionary energy that pushes beyond bounds, ‘ says ange of her works. ‘The teapot signifies the conservative type of craft. ‘ She sheds further information on haiyu slipware by explaining how in this process, a wet slab of clay is coated with an iron slip called tatara, and a design is trailed with a white or colored slip. She does this in order to create the haiyu pattern. After the slip ornamentation has had some time to dry, the slab is next placed atop a plaster mold and given an ash glaze coating. Ange also manufactures ‘clay and glazes from scratch, ‘ which is an interesting aside. Even the ash that is used is said to have been ‘picked from outside my ceramic workshop in Auroville, Pondicherry. ‘ Angé, who devotes 12–13 of her waking hours each day to her craft and is convinced that India has a great deal of untapped potential to support and promote ceramic art, predicts that in the not-too-distant future, there will be an impressive transition among young people in the country between ceramics and other forms of art in the country. Please visit www.indiaartndesign.com in order to see the photographs.

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