13 february 2024, Wouter van den Eijkel
The studio of... Cecil Kemperink
Cecil Kemperink moved to Texel in 2019 to be closer to nature. The continuous movements of nature serves as inspiration for her ceramic pieces, which consist of numerous rings. "The circular shape is the strongest shape there is, both literally and, for me, in terms of meaning: infinity and connection. Everything is interconnected, forming a whole. It is my ideal," she explains.
Kemperink describes her sculptures as ceramic pieces to see, hear, and feel. Much of her work can be seen on YouTube. In short videos, she moves the sculptures in a graceful choreography, allowing you to hear the rings moving as well. This concept originated from Kemperink's desire to fully showcase, experience and hear the work. "My sculptures can change shape; some have countless shapes and sounds within them, each providing a different image, a different perception."
Cecil Kemperink's work, along with that of AnneMarie Laureys Ceramics, Nick Ervinck, Marja Kennis, Marga Knaven, Su Melo and Joke Raes, is being shown in the exhibition High Fired II at Galerie Franzis Engels from 29 February. High Fired II provides a good overview of the possibilities of the popular medium. The opening is on Saturday 2 March at 4 pm, when Jonas Vansteenkiste, head of the ceramics department at the Rietveld Academy, will hold a speech.
I read that you've been living and working on Texel since 2019. On your website, you describe Texel as a nature island. Is that natural environment important for you and your work?
Nature gives me peace and strength. Moving with the wind, smelling, feeling, experiencing. My senses are more engaged here on Texel. The darkness is truly dark and the experience of silence is wonderful, as is the continuous movements of nature: growth, pause and then continuation. Simplicity without being simple. That gives me a sense of trust. I've been living here for five years now, after living in 's-Hertogenbosch for 25 years. I am fascinated by the movements of nature: wind, plant growth, our own breathing, blood circulation, veins and root systems, ebb and flow... The movements in my work are inspired by this.
Ceciel Kemperink, Flow like a river
What does your studio look like?
Concrete floor, tall wooden white walls, lots of windows and lots of light. A wall with cabinets containing work in various stages. Tables in the middle, one tall standing table and one for sitting. I alternate between standing and sitting when I’m working. A comfortable chair in one corner, a small table with a laptop in another. Compact and practical. Lots of buckets of clay. A patio with bird feeders and a hanging chair. Plants, cuttings, experiments. My space and energy.
You're a ceramic artist. Do you have your own kilns or do you fire your work elsewhere?
I work with clay, yet I still feel more like a visual artist than a ceramicist. I like to connect, bring different art forms together. I literally love connecting: every circle is connected to the other. As well as to the different art disciplines, which I consider a whole. How, with my background in different art forms—textiles, fashion, art and dance—I am able to create sculptures that can change shape and produce exciting sounds. Setting these pieces into motion, experiencing them, gives me great pleasure. You engage with the work: feel what is possible, how it’s progressing, what to do next, what happens if I move something else, how the work responds. It is the interaction between attention, balance and feeling. Each work is unique in its way of moving, creating sound and feel, a combination of various elements. I notice that people have a desire to gain an overview: categorise, designation of material, 2D or 3D, discipline or technique. Designating in order to understand. For me, that's not necessary, as all art forms can flow into each other without seams and without angles, reinforcing each other and beautifully round.
My kiln is in the garage. I also use that space to store pedestals, interesting experiments and packaging materials. I fire really large work elsewhere. I'm very pleased with the solar panels on the roof because my kiln uses a lot of electricity.
Ceciel Kemperink, Rise
What makes a good studio for you?
The emptier, the better 😊 and preferably large, light and quiet. Heated, with water and a view, and the possibility to work outside. In 's-Hertogenbosch, I had a very large studio. When I moved, it turned out that there were mainly a lot of experiments in storage because I thought that I’d use them someday. There was enough space to store everything. Now that my studio is smaller, I am more conscious of the space, choosing what to prioritise and getting rid of or recycling the rest.
Congratulations on your exhibition at Franzis Engels! Which work will be shown and why did you choose those particular pieces?
Franzis Engels visited my studio and together we made an initial selection based on the available pieces. Afterwards, Franzis chose six works from that list. Interestingly, of these six sculptures, four are entirely (porcelain) white and the other two are also largely white/off-white. Five of these pieces have not been exhibited before. There are two wall sculptures among them. One of them can also be placed on a pedestal or table. These two have a large number of minor connections and are both labour-intensive and meditative. They are diverse in shape, movement, possibilities for movement, and their sound is also very different. Since I've been living on Texel, I've been using a lot of porcelain. It’s whiter, softer and also more resistant. It gives my work more light and a higher sound. The daily light here is so different than in Brabant: brighter and more intense.
You always work from a basic shape: the ring. What does that ring symbolise in your work?
I love the round and organic. The circular shape is the strongest shape there is, both literally and, for me, in terms of meaning: infinity, connection. Everything is interconnected, a whole. It is my ideal.
My introduction to clay and water behind the potter's wheel was a turning point. The interaction is so fantastic: clay, water, time and me. Your entire body participates. How you are feeling also plays a role. My first circle was born on that potter's wheel – by coincidence because I wanted to cut the top of a pot shape straight. I had a circle in my hand. It was wonderfully beautiful.
At first, I made my circles on the potter's wheel. I used them in various ways, both on the pots and plates I turned. They became larger and I later began using the circles without pot shapes. The potter's wheel was then removed from my studio. This was followed by a long process of searching for ways to connect the circles, experimenting and researching. My background in textiles and fashion played a major role in this. You recognise the textile techniques and methods, you feel textiles/fashion on your skin, a love for the body. This ultimately evolved into my current methods, which combine different loves: textiles, fashion, dance, sculpture and clay.
You describe your work as ‘ceramics to see, hear and feel’. Much of your work is also shown on YouTube, often with a choreography in which a dancer moves with the piece. How did you come up with this concept?
This concept arose from a need to showcase, experience and hear the pieces as fully as possible. My sculptures can change shape: some have countless shapes and sounds within them, each providing a different image, a different perception.
A new work only fully reveals itself to me when it comes out of the oven for the last time. The pieces are fired again and again, sometimes five to eight times. This has to do with the fact that dried clay is very fragile. By firing repeatedly, I can handle the work better, continue to build and make it larger. I fire at many different temperatures, with each temperature giving the clay a different colour, sound and texture. The final firing is at the desired highest temperature. Only then do I see the colour, hear the sounds and feel the movements. I can start to get to know the piece. How do the movements take place? How do I move together with the work? How does the work best come into its own? How do I show the work? Which movement fits best? I use my body to achieve shapes and movements.
The importance of working with your body is clear in dance and fashion; forming shapes and space with and for your body. There is a large mirror in my studio, like a mini ballet studio. I use it to see where and how the work fits, how we move together. Body and sculpture, telling a story together.
I've been dancing all my life and when I was 16, I thought it would be my profession. After two auditions at dance academies in Arnhem and Tilburg, it became clear that I could move in a different direction. To me, it's logical to dance with my work. Most of the time, I can be seen in the videos..
Speaking of which, why do you document your work on video?
Video allows me to capture the performances in moving images and sound, to show an extra layer.
If I were to give you carte blanche, what project would you immediately start on?
I would work with professionals in dance, choreography, music and fashion. This is very exciting because everyone brings unique ideas when collaborating, delves deeper together.
What are you currently working on?
- Preparing for two exhibitions in Spain, one in Taiwan and several in the Netherlands. The plan is to attend all openings
- Preparing a musical performance with one or more musicians. How my work becomes part of a piece of music, how it sounds when a musician ‘plays’ it, how my work would fit in with a musical ensemble. And the questions that arise as we get started
- A commission for a large wall sculpture
- Buying a second kiln
Cecil Kemperink, photo: Liselotte Schoo
