Ceramics & textile art
Victoria Fechtner
Please share a bit about yourself.
Hi, I'm Victoria, a ceramic artist based in Berlin. I work with ceramics and have been involved in giving ceramics courses. I'm also currently studying Textile and surface design at Kunsthochschule Weißensee in Berlin. The way I divide these two practices might vary with time. At the moment I'm working more with ceramics because I have holidays from my university and then if I have more projects at the university, I will spend more time weaving or knitting. I'm looking to somehow combine these two practices in my future projects.
What drew you to ceramic arts and textiles?
I think I knew a long time ago before even starting working with clay, that this material is very appealing to me. I was very happy when my boyfriend invited me to a ceramic class, and from then on I just didn't stop practicing. I went to the studio as much as I could. Right now I'm trying to step a little bit back, and have some breaks from working with clay, so I can reflect on what I love about this material and return with different perspectives. When it comes to textiles, I have always had an interest in fashion design and textiles. I used my sewing machine a lot when I was young and loved creating things with textiles.
And then when I was 16 I did an apprenticeship in Fashion design and moved to Berlin. The year that I graduated the Ranna Plaza factory collapsed, so I was very skeptical about the future of fashion and tried to figure it out my place in this context.
Were there any practitioners, mentors, or other artists that were early inspirations for you?
I think what inspired me the most, in the beginning, was the community around me at the studio, and maybe there wasn’t a specific person but rather everyone around me. I’ve always loved to exchange ideas and new techniques, ask questions, and go through this learning process together. It was such an enriching experience because I was able to connect constantly, especially in times of lockdown it was very satisfying to be surrounded by people that share the same interests. I think this was my biggest inspiration and also what pushed me further. Right now I have a studio for myself but I also go to a community studio where I'm teaching and I like the balance between both. Sometimes I have a place where I can calm down and be by myself and organise my mind but then also have all these shared places where I can exchange ideas and thoughts. I feel very lucky about this.
What is the process and the thinking behind your pieces? How important are independent thinking and self-awareness in this process?
I recently started to use my left hand when I work with clay on the wheel because I realised that I am thinking too much at this point since I practiced the techniques so much with my right hand it all became very automatic and I realised that my thoughts go somewhere else. When I started to work with ceramics I was so happy about being so present so right now I am trying to push myself a little bit to work with my left hand and to get back that feeling of being in the present moment and enjoying all the feeling in my hands and body.
We know that you run ceramic hand-building workshops. Could you tell us more about this experience and your teaching approach?
I'm teaching in a studio called Peace Out Paradise in Neukölln, Berlin. For those who are interested in learning or simply working with clay, I recommend this studio. I enjoy teaching a lot because I have to find words to describe my relationship with the material and the process and then explain it to others. I love when people come to try to work with clay for the first time because they have a different playfulness. I believe that I’ve lost some of this playfulness, and I think that when someone touches the material for the first time I can get a lot of energy from that moment. I enjoy as well to invite people to embrace the moments of ¨¨failure¨¨and to let go of control over the result and be on their side through all these emotions. Sometimes when people throw pieces after class because they're not happy with them, I collect them and I recently did a small sculpture from those pieces. I love the energy of it, I have it in my studio as a reminder of letting go and having fun with the process.
Could you tell us more about your involvement in textile arts?
At the moment I am learning to weave and knit using a knitting machine. I started studying a few semesters ago and I love the process of learning these old techniques and understanding how much work goes into textiles. I'm enjoying learning the basics.
How important is it to allow yourself to feel creatively vulnerable, so you can then be able to respond to your practices in fresh ways?
Maybe I'm not so good with that :) I like to work with other people. For example, having my boyfriend next to me in the studio helps me a lot, just because his approach is so different from mine, and it kind of balances my need for control and perfection. Or even having kids around me or them giving me an opinion about it, because when I'm working too much by myself I can get a bit stuck, and this was happening a lot lately.
What upcoming projects make you excited right now?
At this moment I'm planning a little exhibition that will be exhibited at the Bauhausfest. I will showcase this project through my University involvement. I would like to invite everyone interested, to come and visit because I think there's a good opportunity to connect and discover interesting projects. My project is a documentation of some fire rituals that I did. The traces from the fire and the ash are shown on ceramics and transformed into glazes. The festival is gonna be on the second and third of September.
Can you share with us some resources or platforms that inspire you?
Some Instagram accounts that I find inspiring: @rachelsaundersceramics, @clay_room @annamorgadoceramics, @clay_room. I want also to encourage people to reach out and interact when they need resources. I learned a lot by asking questions to the people around me or in the pottery community.
Where and how can people engage more with your work?
I'm very happy if people contact me via Instagram, or they can find me at the studio Peace Out Paradise, and at the Bauhausfest on the second and third of September. I'm also open to private classes or any other collaborations, so feel free to reach out.
Victoria´s social media. All pictures belong to Victoria
