Kristina Riska 2005

I create my works using the strip technique, building them by hand. This method is ancient and involves building up the walls by layering thin strips of clay on top of one another. I appreciate the quietness and slowness of this process. It takes many weeks to build the larger works. Silence and time are crystallised in the essence of the work; my aim is for these to be conveyed to the viewer as well.

The sources of my work lie in the things I see – in the details of buildings, in rough, abandoned places, and in the forms of plants and trees. When I begin a piece, I start with the form. The form determines the treatment of the surface and the size of the work. The surface may be smooth or very rough; I use stencils I have made myself as well as, often, an ordinary fork. I use glazes sparingly, and they are matt or only slightly glossy. Often, the surface of a piece features nothing but colour. A matt surface beautifully highlights the interplay of light and shadow on the surface of the work.

I see my works as rugged figures. I seek a different kind of beauty. My pieces are thin and often warp during firing. For years I struggled against this phenomenon – I sought the perfect form. Now, however, I have learnt to accept the warping as part of the essence of my work and use it as an element of my artistic expression.