Kiln Sculpture
2013 - 2021 , Iran & Germany
Kiln-sculpture is a clay structure in a quite large size which is fired right in the place that was made. This method is one of the appealing way in large size structures. Since the early 1900s, it has been a common method which is about 20 years now. Making a huge ceramic structure without having a huge kiln in a shortest time as it needs is a privilege than the other methods. Knowing the capability of the kiln’s body, and working with wood burning kiln and more importantly getting to active artists in this area motivated us to experience this method.
The first project was made in May 2013 in Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran with cooperating a group of 16 ceramic students and masters and it took about two weeks to be done. The second kiln-sculpture was made two months later at an International art residency (Paradis Art Center) in Polour village, Iran. The second project was cooperated with a smaller group in a shorter time of 4 days. The third one was made in 2019 at the 49th Environmental Art Festival in Salakh, Qeshm island, Iran with the help of ceramic artists and local people. The fourth one at 2021 was part of CULTURAL AFFAIRS | GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Leipzig, Germany, with the help of students of Burg Giebichenstein Halle University of Art and Design.
According to the raw materials sources and the energy, and also because of the function the structure would have in future, one thing should be considered and that is the environmental capability of these kinds of projects. In university project, a part of the used clay was from the recycled clay left from the pottery studio and in Polour a great part of the raw materials was provided from the clay at the foot of the river and the required fuel of both projects, was assembled from the lifeless trees or the woods found in the environment. Both of these sculptures are designed in a way that attract small birds like sparrows to settle in them according to the holes on the surface and various small places.
