Ceramicist Jacqui Ramrayka loves vessels in their many forms, in series and as one-offs, finding inspiration in natural and urban landscapes, the seemingly random and mundane.
Jacqui says, “For me craft is very much about hand-working, understanding the material, and enjoying the freedom of seeing ideas evolve as she makes. Working in series I observes how the clay responds, and follow where it guides me, rather than having defined goals.”
Jacqui is fascinated and continually challenged by the idea of containment, and ideas spark from many places, objects and experiences – rusty metal tools, peeling layers of paint, found objects that suggest a fragment of a story – things which also inform her colour palette.
Jacqui began as a hand builder and is still interested in that approach for certain projects, but finds throwing on the wheel suits her exploration better. She works primarily in porcelain: despite its tricky nature, it has the right qualities for the finishes she wants to explore, of purity, fragility and strength. Surfaces are important, used to express her narratives, and to achieve depth and variety through richly textured and vibrantly coloured glazes. The earthy palettes and tactile surfaces of her vessels echo the landscapes they are informed by; layered with oxides and glazes, brushed and dipped, often multi-fired. The unpredictability of process ensures each piece has unique textures and patinas.