Nurit newman
Working with clay is not a choice for me; it is a necessity. It gives me focus and pleasure and allows me to become fully absorbed in the act of making. When I work, time falls away. Shaping, molding, smoothing, and glazing draw me into a space that is both physical and intuitive.
Although clay is malleable, it resists control. It demands patience and sensitivity before ideas can take form. I am drawn to this tension between intention and resistance. My work is inspired by the figure and by architecture, but it is neither anatomical nor literal. I create vessels and dress-like forms that suggest bodily presence while carrying the stability and containment of built structures. These forms exist between softness and rigidity, movement and stillness.
Surface plays a central role in this exploration. The sensuous texture of clay and the act of smoothing become part of the work’s internal pressure, suggesting balance, restraint, and quiet strain. I am interested in how things can appear to move forward while remaining unchanged. When I was younger, the world felt softer; now it often feels rigid and unforgiving.
The kiln reinforces an element of uncertainty; no matter how carefully I plan, the outcome is never fully predictable. Guided by experience, this uncertainty allows the work to remain intentional while open to change.
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