CONTEMPORARY ceramics influenced by the modest beauty of nature, done by Austrian ceramist Sigrid Sandker, are on show at the National Art Gallery at Castellani House on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown.

Sandker, who holds a Master of Law from the University of Vienna, said that she was honored to be given an inaugural exhibition of her work at Castellani House, speaking at the opening ceremony last Thursday at the National Gallery.

“It was here, in Guyana, that I was inspired to develop my love for ceramics and started doing pottery. Coming to Guyana gave me the opportunity to peruse initial pottery training at the E. R. Burrows School of Art and I also had individual training with Everly Austin,” she related. Upon leaving Guyana in 2011 she trained with Belgium pottery artists Jagueline Leyamns and Veronique Bogaert.
Acting Curator of the National Gallery, Ohene Koama noted how impressive he found Sandker’s portfolio when she expressed her desire to host an exhibition at Castellani House. He said that her works were different from art that is typically produced in Guyana and the Caribbean and as the exhibition does not use a wide palette of colors, it was appropriately themed “Simplicity”.
Newly-appointed Chairman of the National Art Gallery’s Board of Directors, Alim Hussain, who also declared the exhibition open, made mention of the long history of ceramics in Guyana. He acknowledged the clean lines and shapes, the wide range from jewellery to paintings, from decorative to utilitarian pieces, in the works of Sandker.
Describing her pieces, Sandker said, “The base of my clay work remains the functional clay pot. However, I do not think that functionality is the only reason for pottery

to exist. Pottery can offer us functional capacity that enables us to sustain ourselves and at the same time the aesthetic qualities that enhance our lives.”
The ceramist, who believes in early art education and so teaches art classes to children, continued, “My focus is on simple shapes and contours. The use of black and white and sometimes a touch of blue emphasize the shapes and the volume of the pieces I exhibit. Generally much of my inspiration comes from nature and the beautiful shapes it creates.”
The detailed art pieces, which are on sale, are finished with different firing and molding techniques and were made at Sandker’s home in Guyana.
The Chairman of the National Art Gallery encouraged the public to view and partake in Sandker’s new dimension of ceramics, “Simplicity”, as the exhibition will continue until Saturday, October 4.

(By Raveena Mangal)