WELCOME TO MARIAM CULLUM CERAMICS
All my work is thrown on the potter's wheel and is focused for the most part on functional ware. The endless possibilities that exist within the vessel form are challenging and exciting and towards this end I want to make pottery that can be used and enjoyed in domestic life. I also hand build one off sculptural objects that are viewed as abstract but also provide functionality.
I work with different clay bodies but recently I have been using Limoges porcelain as despite its known quirks it is soft and sensual and a pleasure to touch and use. Clay is at its most sensitive when freshly thrown and I find it fascinating to transform and alter a thrown form and try to capture the movement and energy within the clay.
My inspiration comes from the Indian, African and Arabic cultural backgrounds that I am fortunate to have. Arabic calligraphy lends well to the altered shapes and I use it not only as an art form but also to provide the movement that I want to invoke in my work. These scripts all carry a universal message of tolerance, faith, peace and love. I decorate my work using various techniques including painting and printing with oxides and slips and ceramic digital transfers.
Ultimately I try to produce ceramics that not only work well for their intended function but are also visually stimulating and tactilely rewarding.
