Halima Cassell: Ceramic Artist

I enjoy looking at and into the clay sculptures by Cassell. The deep carving of the clay that she has mastered offer depth and light/shade as well as symmetry. They feel very satisfying somehow, in their symmetry and lack of fussy colour, relying on light and shade to give shape and tone to the forms




Helix  unglazed stoneware

The mid grey colour is spattered with tiny inclusions that offer texture as well as colour contrast all be it very subtle. The colour is not the theme and it doesn't distract from the form. The shape is a sphere with deep ravines of whirling pattern remind me of the unfurling of a flower centre or a leaf. The shape is femine and in her personal statement refers to these qualities being important in her work. A place where she always seems to end up.




Acapella

This form is made of bronze. The form is like a vase again with a signature form of deep curving ravines. The forms seem very tactile. The colour of the bronze is warm and though the geometry is "sharp" in its measurement and exactitude, the edges are not sharp looking, like a cutting edge, but slightly rounded off so that with a slight alteration it looks feminie rather than aggressive.


Artist Statement

I was interested to find the artists own statement about her work and like her descriptions of her influences and the desire to capture geometry in a way that is new. Her respect for the golden ratio and the strengths of the materials, plus a desire to push the materials and form to their limits. I felt like this gave me some things to think about in terms of printing processes which is where my interest currently lies.

http://www.halimacassell.com/artist/58bff8dfe5b41/Artist-Statement