This paper-thin porcelain bowl by Guy Van Leemput was hand built on a balloon and shows every trace that was made by the wooden modelling tool. The transparency and the very subtle traces of glaze come from the high firing in the wood kiln. Over the entire surface there is a mathematical pattern of pink and red checks that overlap, in this way they are ‘Chained For Life’.
Length 19 cm
Width 23
Height 15.5
©Stef Van Leemput
©Dirk Theys
©Dirk Theys
©Dirk Theys
©Dirk Theys
Guy Van Leemput
- Ceramicist
- Herentals, Belgium
- Master Artisan
Contact
Dutch, English, French, German
Hours:
By appointment only
By appointment only
Phone:
+32 486917163
+32 486917163
©Dirk Theys
Mindful creation
- • Guy studied both mathematics and ceramics
- • He is fascinated by the shape of the bowl
- • Creating one of his bowls can take up to a month
“For me working with clay is yoga for the mind” says Guy Van Leemput about his craft and the peace he finds within when practising it. Enjoying the slow process of creation and time-consuming techniques is a way of forgetting the daily sorrows, letting the rhythm of his breath guide him. Ceramics was almost a calling to Guy, who started studying it over the summer as a teenager. His first teacher was a local ceramicist, Geert Van der Borght, and later he attended the Academy of Fine Art of Herentals specialising in ceramics and sculpture. Today, Guy is recognized for his wafer-thin, wood-fired porcelain bowls that he creates using a balloon. This technique requires delicacy and patience, as only a small part of material can be added each day; the final result can easily take up to a month.
Read the full interviewWorks
Photo: ©Dirk Theys
Chained For Life
Photo: ©Dirk Theys
Big Mind Circles
“Big Mind" is used in Zen meditation to refer to "that which is unlimited". In this precious bowl, Guy Van Leemput gives form to that infiniteness. The circles that we see, the pattern of layers that run under and over each other, aren’t really there, it is merely porcelain (238 grams) and a lot of emptiness. This bowl was fired upside down on a support. The wood kiln ensures the beautiful white and a subtle glimpse of ash-glaze.
Length 25.5 cm
Width 26.5
Height 16.5
Photo: ©Dirk Theys
Just An Illusion
This paper-thin bowl (256 grams) by Guy Van Leemput is hand built and wood fired. Our brains search for 'recognition'. Perhaps in the pattern on this porcelain bowl, they first see six-pointed stars and then stacked cubes. The brain can quickly switch from one shape to another but you never see them at the same time. And whatever you see is not there. It is ‘Just An Illusion’.
Length 16 cm
Width 19
Height 12
Photo: ©Dirk Theys
Mein Kleines Gebet
In Aachen Cathedral, Germany, Guy Van Leemput found a geometric pattern of petals on a stained-glass window that he wanted to reproduce. The result is this fragile porcelain bowl that was made by hand with very little porcelain. The firing in the kiln causes small deformations so that the light refracts differently. Together with the transparency, this results in a fascinating light spectacle at any time of day.
Length 16 cm
Width 17
Height 11.5
Photo: ©Dirk Theys
Pink Eye
This bowl is made of narrow strips of porcelain: white alternating with pink. Towards the top the pattern becomes wilder and less predictable. The pink is joined here and there by some red. This handmade bowl was made using a high-firing technique in the wood kiln which creates a subtle transparency.
Length 17 cm
Width 17
Height 10.5
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