ceramics
Marie Technau
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I'm Marie Technau, currently living, studying, and working in Mainz, Germany. I'm a ceramicist working in a little studio that I'm sharing with freinds, making small-batch functional ceramics, and teaching hand-building workshops with my studio partner. At the same time, I'm studying communication design at Hochschule Mainz (even though I don't actively study there anymore) while also being a mom to my wonderful 15-month-old daughter.
What first led you to ceramics? Were there any practitioners or other artists that were early inspirations for you?
I first touched clay when I was very young. My parents would take bags of clay on our summer vacation to the south of France every year. I spent hours zoned out, playing with it and creating. But unfortunately, we never fired the pieces, so I couldn't keep any of them, and for a long time didn't even know what a finished ceramic piece looked like, let alone what glaze was.
I kind of forgot about clay for a while until I returned to it through food. I have always enjoyed cooking as a hobby and as a form of meditation. Part of that was serving the dishes on unique ceramics and making them look aesthetic. In my opinion, it just tastes better when arranged on a special plate. But it wasn't until I traveled to Portugal that I began to appreciate handmade ceramics and brought loads of them home with me. After this trip, I was so taken with it and really wanted to start making pottery myself again. So I started going to evening classes every week. I was hooked from the first touch and knew this was "my material." It was a feeling that I had never experienced before.
Can you take us through your process? Do you have a favorite part of the creation process?
My process is very different depending on whether I make functional ceramics or ceramics on a specific topic (like the "one size fits all" project). For functional ceramics, I scribble ideas in my sketchbook and develop them further at the wheel (or by hand if I'm making hand-built ceramics). But since I'm not good at drawing and can barely bring what's in my head to paper, I usually let my hands guide me and give my intuition space to show me where to go. Of course, sometimes a piece can turn out totally different from what I'd have envisioned, but that's the beauty of it.
I couldn't pick a favorite part as I love every step of the many steps it needs to create a pot. From thinking about shapes, sizes, colours, textures, and overall looks to a feeling, my pieces should convey. But turning the bases is definitely on the top list; that's when a wheel-thrown work takes shape, and I have the power over what it becomes. With an art piece, my process is very different. I started the previous "One Size Fits All" project by researching and looking into the Gender Health Gap and properly building my knowledge around the topic. My goal was to translate the information I gathered into a ceramic piece that communicates the issue.
As in my studies, it's more about finding a way to visualize information and giving the viewer something to understand without much explanation. So I created different connections on different levels. The colours indicate the drug pill colours; the shapes are inspired by the common geometric pill shapes and also embody the differences in ourselves as people. The variety and colorfulness symbolise diversity. Often not all of this is recognisable at first glance, just as it is not always immediately evident what a painting is trying to communicate. But the subtle hints and connections make this work exciting for me.
Working with clay can lead to unexpected results. How do you build a balanced relationship with this material, and let go of what you expect?
I'm still trying to let go of those expectations, tbh. It's always hard to take a broken piece out of the kiln. But you can only control the outcome to a certain stage. Clay is a beautiful, versatile material. What I love about it is that it has its own memory, which you can try to suppress, but one way or another, it reveals itself in the end. You can't push, stretch or rush the material, or it will break, and especially when you fire the pieces to such a high temperature, you have to let go of control because you're just not in the position to control it anymore. As with the overall process of handmade pottery: there will always be cracked pots, a crazed glaze, a deformed cup. I try to take those moments as learnings because they happen to be part of the journey.
Sometimes they teach me very well, for example, that the color range I was hoping to achieve and didn't get isn't as beautiful as the one I got surprised with in the end. But I'm not going to lie; it's not always fun when you invest time, love, and energy into creating a piece and the outcome is different than expected. But, at the same time, this makes pottery so exciting. There are so many variables that you must keep an open mind about different possible outcomes.
How do you feel about working with your hands? Can you tell us more about the benefits of experiencing a sense of control over yourself and your environment?
Working with my own hands has helped me through a challenging time in my life. I wasn't in a good place; my mental health was down, and suddenly, there was this material with which I could influence and express myself. I've spent too much time working in a digital world that didn't make me happy, and with clay, it was finally possible to create, represent and bring everything in my head to life. The connection with the earth element grounded me and was truly healing. In addition, it is a beautiful experience to see that what I have taught my body to do can create beautiful works of art. I have to say it's a co-creation; my body is telling me what to do and how to move my hands while it's teaching me to listen to my intuition. This connection with the material is visible in every creation, and if a pot doesn't work out, it is usually because I am off-center.
Your recent exhibition ´One size fits all´ raises awareness about the gender health gap in medicine. Can you speak a bit more about the importance of using your art as an instrument to raise awareness about this issue?
I was shocked when diving deep into the topic of the Gender Health Gap. I was frustrated, furious, sad, and just couldn't believe it. However, I wanted to find a way to translate all of it into a ceramic piece and did it with a range of different coloured, shaped, and sized vases. They were displayed as pieces in an art exhibition but can also be functional and used further for their actual purpose as vases. To be honest, I like creating pieces with a function that are not only for display but also made for use and to be touched and felt. That's why I'm currently thinking a lot about functionality and how I can make functional ceramics that speak to the person holding it in their hand. I feel like there is much more to it than what we give credit for. Art is held in such high esteem, but functional ceramics are works of art too, which can also make a statement if the maker wants to.
Combining topics of relevance with the ceramic craft is what drives me. Due to my studies, I am used to visualizing through graphics, photography, etc. But communicating important issues with something made out of clay still is much more natural to me.
How do you personally envision a world which has been able to revive crafts and traditional & sustainable techniques?
We are often so stressed and exhausted in our everyday lives. We act like little robots in a system drawn into a digital world. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of digitalisation, but at the same time, we need things that bring us back to ourselves, that ground and nourish our souls, whatever that might be. We strive for individualism and it is most likely to be found in working with your hands, music or nature.
Keeping this connection with our ancestors and continuing to use and create with the beautiful techniques they have left us with is only healthy. It brings me down to earth when I remember that this craft has been around for thousands of years, and we're just continuing with it. The fact that our planet plays a significant role is the most beautiful. We are receiving from the earth, using the material, creating with it, and giving back a part of ourselves. And that's an important point; we give back to this world, so we should be aware of what we give back and what is likely to outlive us for hundreds of years.
We know that you are running hand-building ceramics workshops. Could you tell us a bit more about it and the reasons why you are drawn to teaching?
Since I started making ceramics, I get constantly asked about the process and how one can start making their own pottery. There are so many people out there drawn to this craft, keen to learn about it, but not enough people and places willing to pass on the knowledge. I feel like pottery can be such a healing way to get creative and get back in touch with yourself. I want people to experience all the benefits of making their own pottery. Besides, I enjoy meeting people and sharing my knowledge about pottery making. In the studio, where I give workshops with my studio partner, we want to create a welcoming space for everyone interested in the craft. As we enjoy working with clay to experience the present moments more consciously, we like to share this with others to experience as well. These moments create a space where people can work freely and intuitively with clay.
What upcoming projects make you excited right now?
When I spent time in England, I got to learn so much about glazes and the alchemy behind them. I've been focussing on creating a vibrant color palette and testing many, many glazes. It is a tedious task, but it's so exciting once you see the results and evaluate them. So I'm currently figuring out new forms, colours and a way to create pieces that all work together. It means mostly making loads of test tiles and prototypes over the next few weeks. Additionally, I have a few other projects that I can't talk about yet, but I can assure you it will be very exciting.
Where and how can people engage more with your work?
Currently, the only way to get in touch is via Instagram (yup, still working on that website), or you can message me, and we can make an appointment for a studio visit. I'm always happy to meet new souls.
Marie´s social media All pictures belong to Marie.
