WOMEN WHO CREATE: HANA KARIM IS CONQUERING CERAMICS FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Hana Karim grew up between painting studios and pottery wheels, in the Western part of Slovenia, where her parents encouraged her to see that ceramics could be a business, a passion and a form of artistic expression. Today, Karim is working to shift the perception of ceramic making, by coaxing the resurgence of pottery as a medium for creative expression.
Finding inspiration in the words and creativity of her mother, Karim first spent ten years crafting ceramic jewellery before moving onto homeware. This sense of progression felt natural, as Karim uses jewellery-making techniques as a way of giving definition to the bowls, cups and plates of her homeware line. It is these details, and her unparalleled manipulation of clay stone that makes her work immediately recognisable. Tones of turquoise seep through, a palette that is influenced by Karim’s father and his Iraqi Kurdistan heritage. The artist, describes the calming effect of the ocean-like tincture, as it mystically oscillates between green and blue hues, quietly harboring a sense of nostalgia for her childhood. With one look, it becomes clear that Karim’s work and creative process finds conception in the relationship she has with her parents.
“Sometimes misshapen plates speak more to me,” Karim explains, and she goes on to attribute her stylistic fluidity to a strong emotional connection with her surroundings, “even the recent change in seasons inspired me to create a collection of bowls in all shades of grey.” Karim’s sensitivity to her creative process has taught her to work organically and in line with her feelings, rather than forcing herself to create something that she will come to dislike. “When I wake up in the morning, I know immediately whether it is a good day to create something new, or whether I will not be able to hold clay in my hands at all.”
This narrative tells a story of spontaneity, reminding us all, that sometimes, the best things arise out of sheer coincidence as opposed to meticulous planning. This serenity seems to be rooted in her ritualistic morning meditation and yoga practise – remedying the unpredictabilities of life as a freelance artist. Karim’s evasion of structured routine urges perpetual curiosity and exploration in both her ceramics and in her personal life.
With the series Women Who Create, Material Magazine is looking to highlight women from a variety of professions and passions that use their unique talents to carve out a space for themselves and their art in our cultural landscape.
Taken from Material Magazine No 33 – get your issue here.