FROM ASHES
From Ashes is a material investigation into the possibilities of using wood ash in ceramic glazes.
Wood ash collected from two households in Bratislava became the basis of my own glaze recipes. Part of the ash was washed, producing unexpectedly delicate caramel tones, while the untreated ash yielded less predictable surfaces with richer mineral character and spontaneous effects.
By combining ash with my own glazes, I explored how this ordinary material could create surfaces on paper porcelain reminiscent of wood-fired ceramics, although every piece was fired in an electric kiln.
The collection reflects both the transformation of a material and a personal process of renewal. Mysterious flora and unfamiliar life forms emerge as symbols of resilience, adaptation and new beginnings.
Materials and techniques: Paper porcelain enriched with cellulose (own recipe); commercial flax paper porcelain; ash glazes (own recipes) developed from wood ash collected from domestic fireplaces. Hand-built using slab building, pinch coiling, free modelling and extruded elements. Fired in an electric kiln.
photo: Martin Tomečko
© 2025
