Clay heads, sea urchins, seals and porcelain girls hidden among the greenery in the Botanical Garden
On 12 April, the ceramics exhibition "Ex terra. Hortus luteus" opened at the Botanical Garden, featuring ceramic works of art made mainly by wood-firing. The exhibition will remain open until 31 May.
The exhibition brings together thirteen artists, professional ceramists and sculptors. According to Eva Krivonogova, one of the organisers of the exhibition, the title of the exhibition "Ex terra. Hortus Luteus", refers both to the material of the works on display, the different ceramic clay bodies, and to the botanical garden, the venue of the exhibition. "The title of the exhibition in English could be, for example, 'Made of clay or soil. Clay Garden". The exhibition is about different forms of ceramics - mainly sculptural objects or sculptures made using the method of wood firing," said Krivonogova.
Most of the exhibited works were fired in the wood-burning kiln of the Uhti Valge tavern in Tartu County and made especially for this exhibition with the University of Tartu Botanical Garden in mind. Many of the authors represented in the exhibition have met at the Uhti ceramics wood-firing workshops for many years.
Clay and ceramics are the link that unites us. We get together once or twice a year in the yard of the Uhti White Tavern at the wood-firing kiln. We are united by the Uhti kiln and a passion for ceramics as a form of expression.
The idea of combining ceramic objects with the lush greenery of the botanical garden came about while tinkering at the Uht kiln. The participants are mostly professional ceramists and ceramics teachers, for whom wood firing offers a playful opportunity to practice a slightly more unusual and surprising firing method. The exhibition will also feature sculptors and painters who are fascinated by ceramic sculpture and the unique surface finish that wood-firing offers.
The works on display differ in both scale and content. There are figurative animal sculptures and human figures, as well as conceptual and abstract objects. For example, Kersti Kalsi's colourful mermaid and Eva Krivonogova's two porcelain girls - one white, the other golden - are on display at the Palm House. Mari Hiiemäe has a ceramic portrait of a "Celadon" and a stylized tentacle with upturned leaves called "Beetroot". Ceramicist Kai Paks has exhibited a five-piece set of coloured tubes, first made from a plaster mould taken from an apple tree called Eva. One of the funniest performers in the exhibition is Maarit Mälgi's light blue seal, whose watery beauty is underlined by its placement in a completely alien environment. The works are housed indoors at the University of Tartu Botanical Garden. The only exception is Priit Allas's sculpture "August", which was too heavy to bring in - a massive granite pillar supports a voluminous ceramic mound.
The following artists are featured in the exhibition: Maanus Mikkel, Kersti Kals, Aili Palm, Kai Paks, Priit Allas, Eike Eplik, Mari Hiiemäe, Külli Kõiv, Karin Kalman, Kersti Laanmaa, Eva Krivonogova, Maarit Mälgi, Rauno Thomas Moss.
Exhibition "Ex terra. Hortus luteus" remains open at the University of Tartu Botanical Garden until 31 May. The exhibition can be visited with a ticket.
