This vase is wheel thrown, which results in its round shape with a smooth top surface. The unique pattern on the top is the result of the smoke firing using bamboo leaves. The use of porcelain terrasigillata creates a smooth satin finish.
Height 20 cm
Width 25 cm
©Amrita Karunaratne
©Amrita Karunaratne
©Amrita Karunaratne
©Amrita Karunaratne
©Amrita Karunaratne
Amrita Karunaratne
- Ceramicist
- Hoorn, Netherlands
- Master Artisan
Contact
Dutch, English, Sinhala
Hours:
By appointment only
By appointment only
Phone:
+31 648794405
+31 648794405
©Amrita Karunaratne
A journey with many hurdles
- • Amrita battled prejudices about pottery in Sri Lanka
- • Her work is based on a technique already used in Pompeii
- • She studied ceramics in Ireland
Amrita Karunaratne opened her own workshop in 1997 in the Netherlands, but is originally from Sri Lanka. In her native country, she had to overcome many hurdles on her journey working with clay, from finding the right training course to battling prejudices. “In Sri Lanka, pottery is considered one of the lowest professions, for groups at the bottom of the caste system,” she explains. “It was extremely difficult to pursue ceramics professionally. Eventually, I got a place at a government ceramics centre, where I prepared a portfolio to apply to art colleges abroad. I then could go to Ireland to study.” In the Netherlands, barriers exist as well. “Throwing pottery is looked down upon as a hobby. It’s hard to approach galleries for exhibitions with my work.”
Read the full interviewWorks
Photo: ©Amrita Karunaratne
Terrasigillata porcelain
Photo: ©Amrita Karunaratne
Terracotta terrasigillata
This vase is wheel thrown, which results in an oblong shape with a smooth top surface. The top pattern is the result of the smoke firing using dried grass clippings. The red colour is achieved through the use of terracotta terrasigillata and polished to gain a satin finish.
Height 26 cm
Width 25 cm
Photo: ©Amrita Karunaratne
Terracotta paper clay
This vase is wheel thrown, which results in an oblong shape. The unique pattern is the result of the application of multiple layers of terrasigillata slip, which is then pealed after multiple firings. The vase is smoke fired in a saggar.
Height 18 cm
Width 12 cm
Photo: ©Amrita Karunaratne
Smoked black clay
This vase has been thrown on the wheel, which resulted in a round shape with a very smooth top surface. To achieve the smooth satin finish, black terrasigillata was applied to the piece. Afterwards, the vase was smoke fired in a saggar firing in an electric kiln with saw dust.
Height 15 cm
Width 26 cm
Photo: ©Amrita Karunaratne
The lake IJsselmeer
This vase is wheel thrown, which results in a bulbous shape with a smooth surface. To achieve the smooth satin finish, porcelain terrasigillata was applied to the piece. The deep blue colour is achieved through the use of cyanotype.
Height 7.5 cm
Width 10 cm
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