Every vessel tells a unique story.
Both controlled and uncontrolled.
As an artist, I have always felt the urge to create with clay. It gives me the most satisfaction to incorporate the elements—especially fire—to breathe life into my vessels and show their vulnerability and their soul.
Selected Pieces
About
Anke Dirks-Wehrmann
Anke is a woodfiring ceramic artist living at the beautiful shores of Lake Huron. She grew up on a farm close to the shores of the North Sea and the borderland between Germany and Denmark. This gave her a lot of exposure to the elements Earth, Wind, Fire and Water, which shaped her personality.
She was professionally trained in agriculture before immigrating to Canada in 1985. Together with her husband Harro she built up an organic farm.
She dove into the world of ceramics after finding some time due to a bad car accident.
Studying under Christopher Reid Flock at Mohawk College profoundly affected her pursuit of an art career. Sitting on the outside of the traditional education framework she gained her expertise through connecting and learning from artists and leaders in the ceramic field in North America and Europe.
Environmentally conscious, she is exploring and experimenting with a more sustainable approach with her artwork. The deeply rich texture she accomplishes through adding by-products from the farm, especially spelt hulls and buckwheat hulls. The slip is made out of low fire clay she harvested from her organic farm with added sand.
She also experiments with creating ash glazes out of invasive species she collects in her near surroundings.
The finishing of her one of a kind unique art pieces would not be complete without the woodfiring process.
Anke has shown her work in North America and in Europe and is found in numerous collector homes around the world.
Woodfiring
Firing ceramics in a woodkiln produces distinct outcomes. Both controlled and uncontrolled. I observe how the vessel, the flame and the ashflow speak to each other, capturing information on the surface.
Each firing brings me more knowledge of the flame, vessel, ashflow and kiln, strengthening my knowledge of the process. Moreover I accept not knowing all variables at play during each firing. There is an endless search for different results.
The different types of woodkilns, variation of the ashes from different wood types, different approaches to the firing process, downcooling in either oxidation or reduction, offer a rich array of variables.
By carefully positioning the pieces in the kiln to allow the creative interplay between the different clay bodies, flame, waste material from the farm that are embedded into slips, made out of local harvested clay and wood ashes. Pots may be placed on their side on seashells or even placed on chicken grit, While plates and trays are stacked for maximal exposure to the flame interaction. Tumblestack, which mostly include sculptures and vaseforms, are either placed close to the firebox as well as close to the sidestoking ports.
During firing, this can result in aromatic crustation, soft markings and swirling textures with an interplay of deep browns, white blushes, creamy ash surfaces and even colours of the rainbow spectrum. It is this combination of the natural effect of the fire and the contrived form of the object that straddles the fine line between the happy accident and great sophistication.
I continue to be intrigued by clay, wood and fire.
Even though I never considered myself to be a creative person, after my introduction to clay and especially the woodfiring process, all of that has changed.
Contact Anke
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