Afagh Advay 9

Emerging Potters – 24 Afagh Advay July - September 2021

Name: Journey of Simorg 250cm x 120 cm 2018 Solo Relief Exhibition, Eskisehir, Turkey

Lalajin city is one of the pottery centers of Iran. The soil in this area is red and the dishes are usually turquoise and azure. The traditional technique of vitreous enamel on pottery is produced here. Also, the soil from this area is suitable for making reliefs. Recently in addition to making relief clay boards, she has been making sculptures for urban spaces. Making the clay relief boards in large dimensions, her smallest piece is 120 x 80 cm and biggest piece is 50 x 3 meters (150 square meters).

The Tabriz and Zanuz regions have white and high-quality soil and the dishes are usually turquoise and latticed.

Kalpurgan Pottery dates back to the Paleolithic era. Here dishes are still made according to ancient patterns and the potteries are made by tubular technique (wick) and without glaze. Holding an exhibition with these heavy boards was almost impossible for her because of the weight so she temporarily decided to change materials and use plaster instead of clay, to hold a solo exhibition in 2018.

It was an interesting experience for her and of course full of challenges. But finally managed to produce 23 works in different dimensions for this exhibition.

Kharmohreh Qom can be traced to 6,000 years ago. It has a turquoise blue clay that was used as a spell in the past and is now used as a decorative object. Contact details: Website: www.afaghadvay.com Instagram: afagh_advay

Fiona Booy

Originally born in Scotland, Fiona grew up in South Africa. In 2000, after living and working in Hong Kong and The Netherlands, she moved to St Albans, England. Then in 2015, after 25+ years in IT and finance, she swapped her hobby pottery for a full-time clay career.

An early influence was David Walters. His studio was part of the Midlands Meander Art Trail in Natal Kwa Zulu in South Africa. There he made large wheel thrown porcelain vessels of delicious proportions. Lovely to hold –both strong and fragile, bold and delicate. His glazes were a simple-butintricate mix of slip, oxides and glazes. She coveted his pots and dreamed of his studio pottery career: “Imagine making lovely pots in gorgeous surroundings and selling to visitors from the outside world from your very own home – what a dream way to live…”

In June 2019 she graduated from CityLit with a Ceramics Diploma. Further influences came from the Friday night demonstrations at Dacorum & Chiltern Potters Guild.

Above: Stan & Clem

Emerging Potters – 24 Fiona Booy July - September 2021

The CityLit ceramics diploma was pivotal in her progression to ceramic artist. This course challenged Fiona’s core ways of thinking and working. Many years in business honed straight lines and hard thinking. Improving her creativity meant thinking less from her conscious mind and allowing more spontaneous reactions from the subconscious- learning how to ‘let go’. Another element from the course was glaze chemistry, which has stayed with her and is another challenge for the future.

Today her studio is a small busy area at home (a bike shed with wheel, kiln & many shelves). In addition, she joined Digswell Arts Trust in October 2019, sharing the studio with a fellow CityLit graduate. Along with four other ceramic artists they have access to two large kilns and a large work space. However with lockdown, studio-sharing and home schooling, access for her has been limited.

Her work is a mix of vessels and sculptures –most of whom begin their life on the wheel, with the tactile soft flowing nature of the clay and throwing rings. She enjoys throwing soft forms which capture fluidity and motion, and particularly the way throwing rings can resonate with sedimentary rock, or water erosion. A major influence has been the mountains of Drakensberg in South Africa leaving humbled impression of the inconceivable force and time required for mountain formation, movement and subsequent erosion.

She often works many different clays and other inorganic materials into each piece – as it creates interest and emphasises the throwing lines. Often organics are added such as raisins, chickpeas, coucous. These fall out/ burn off and leave behind interesting textures – which pool glazes and draw the eye.

Top: left Halo Vessel Blue. Right: Bejeweld Bottom: Madam