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1 Such Vacant Ropes pieces with molds (photography by Yuta Sawamura)

2 Close-ups of clay weaving

3 Collapsed porcelain

4 Shaping process

5 Colour research: celadon and ash glaze in reduction firing

6 Flame watch and kiln opening

7 Flat pieces, collection of longer arch connections

8 Making of the molds

9 Kiln God

04. Such Vacant Ropes



Such Vacant Ropes explores the poetics and movements of clay as an autonomous material, through a series of pieces that play with gravity and flirt with fragility.

Clay threads are draped into molds in inverted arches, forming increasingly complex woven structures as they rise. The pieces seem to float above the ground, defined by their empty spaces. These voids highlight each thread’s movement, allowing the natural pull of gravity to shape the clay into soft loops. The threads are joined at various points with a simple gesture —a press of the thumb— creating what is known as a "weak joint." This connection reveals the surprising plasticity of clay, as it presses into itself to become its own bond. The pieces embody the ephemeral dance of hand gesture meeting clay movement, capturing the beauty of this encounter.

Alongside these suspended forms, the presence of massive molds speaks of support and weight, essential to the creation of such delicate structures. Made of clay themselves, the molds support the pieces during the drying and firing processes, moving in sync with the pieces they hold. More than functional tools, they stand as silent witnesses to the choreography between hand and material, questioning the relationship between the object and the means of its making.


2024


Realized during a 3-month residency at EKWC (European Ceramics Work Center, the Netherlands)

Supported by Ikea Foundation Switzerland