As a
ceramist, I am a collector of stories, experiences, and materials.
My work reflects a lifelong journey of discovery, where the possibilities of clay, form, and color open up an endless road that continually offers new side roads.
Each of these roads you can choose to explore or not, only to decide whether you want to continue or turn back.
Combining different materials allows me to explore their unique properties and understand how they interact with one another. This interplay of experimentation, creation, and coincidence captivates me and encourages me to go further on this path.
It is this challenge that breathes life into my art, leading to unexpected forms and compositions.
At the core of my practice is the search for balance—an equilibrium between diverse textures and shapes, between roughness and softness, gloss and matte, light and dark, clean lines and chaotic patterns. The striving for these contrasts is reflected in my work, literally and figuratively, as a dynamic interplay of opposites, of yin and yang.
In every phase of the creation process, I place great value on attention and detail. The selection of clay, the shaping, and the application of glazes are essential. These ingredients must be in symbiosis with the structure, texture, and color of the clay, as well as with each other. The challenge for me lies in finding balance at every step of the process. The careful selection of clay types with different properties, which can either work together or create interesting dynamics, is crucial. The combination of clays with varying chamotte content leads to unique shrinkage processes during firing. This is where my quest for equilibrium begins, discovering which clays complement each other or, conversely, create intriguing compositions. Occasionally, I use porcelain alongside chamotte, although I sometimes find it too dominating in the final result.
I always start from functional forms, even if they often end up being non-functional. A vase full of holes or an unstable cup that isn’t meant to hold liquid—because beauty can sometimes simply be decorative.
Unconsciously, my experiences and travels through other cultures are woven into the primitive and organic shapes I create. I allow myself to be guided by my gut feeling, letting forms emerge as I work; sometimes they are good ideas, sometimes not, and elements may disappear or lead me to start over.
As an illustrator, I find beauty in imperfection and childlike playfulness. This love for detail and authenticity finds its way into my ceramics, whether in the colors, the subtle stripes, the dots, or the use of pencil lines—it is always recognizable as my signature.
With each creation, I invite viewers to explore the layers of my work, to appreciate the mystery of the process, and to value the beauty of imperfection. Each piece is not just an object but an ode to the journey I embark on with clay and the stories it tells.
Helen Blanchaert
My work reflects a lifelong journey of discovery, where the possibilities of clay, form, and color open up an endless road that continually offers new side roads.
Each of these roads you can choose to explore or not, only to decide whether you want to continue or turn back.
Combining different materials allows me to explore their unique properties and understand how they interact with one another. This interplay of experimentation, creation, and coincidence captivates me and encourages me to go further on this path.
It is this challenge that breathes life into my art, leading to unexpected forms and compositions.
At the core of my practice is the search for balance—an equilibrium between diverse textures and shapes, between roughness and softness, gloss and matte, light and dark, clean lines and chaotic patterns. The striving for these contrasts is reflected in my work, literally and figuratively, as a dynamic interplay of opposites, of yin and yang.
In every phase of the creation process, I place great value on attention and detail. The selection of clay, the shaping, and the application of glazes are essential. These ingredients must be in symbiosis with the structure, texture, and color of the clay, as well as with each other. The challenge for me lies in finding balance at every step of the process. The careful selection of clay types with different properties, which can either work together or create interesting dynamics, is crucial. The combination of clays with varying chamotte content leads to unique shrinkage processes during firing. This is where my quest for equilibrium begins, discovering which clays complement each other or, conversely, create intriguing compositions. Occasionally, I use porcelain alongside chamotte, although I sometimes find it too dominating in the final result.
I always start from functional forms, even if they often end up being non-functional. A vase full of holes or an unstable cup that isn’t meant to hold liquid—because beauty can sometimes simply be decorative.
Unconsciously, my experiences and travels through other cultures are woven into the primitive and organic shapes I create. I allow myself to be guided by my gut feeling, letting forms emerge as I work; sometimes they are good ideas, sometimes not, and elements may disappear or lead me to start over.
As an illustrator, I find beauty in imperfection and childlike playfulness. This love for detail and authenticity finds its way into my ceramics, whether in the colors, the subtle stripes, the dots, or the use of pencil lines—it is always recognizable as my signature.
With each creation, I invite viewers to explore the layers of my work, to appreciate the mystery of the process, and to value the beauty of imperfection. Each piece is not just an object but an ode to the journey I embark on with clay and the stories it tells.
Helen Blanchaert