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VERONIKA ŠVÁBENÍKOVÁ
Veronika is a Czech ceramicist who creates unique vases using the marbling technique. Years ago, we met her at Designblok in Prague and we were so enchanted by her vases that we immediately took a few of them to Bratislava with us. Unrepeatable decors evoke dreamlike paintings, water surface or cosmic nebula. Veronika believes that everything has its own story and value, and that inspiration is often hidden in the subtleties of everyday life. Read a short interview with her and get a glimpse of her artistic process.
What do you like about working with clay?
Its diversity. Clay can have many forms and there are many ways to work with it. The biggest challenge for me is the technology, the chemical composition of the materials, their behaviour during firing and their mixing. At the same time, this is something that fascinates me and I like to experiment with it.
Describe the proccess of creating one vase.
The vases are always created in a series so that I fill the capacity of the kiln. First I do the pouring. The ceramic mass is poured into a plaster mold, I wait until the shard forming the body of the vase is formed and then I have to wait about 10 hours before I can take the vase out. When I finish pouring the whole series, retouching, the first firing and more retouching follow.
Then I continue with marbling, which is my favourite step, where I can unleash my creativity and energy. I mix and apply colours according to my current mood and also its combination depends on my current state. You're never quite sure how things will turn out.
What does your typical day look like?
That's a tricky question. My days are very varied and it depends on what awaits me at the moment. I like change and often I have no idea what the next day will bring. But I still love my little rituals, so my normal day is not complete without a healthy breakfast with good coffee, after which I need some time to meditate to fully wake up.
And what would your ideal day look like?
I try to make every day perfect. It is important to find something positive in everything we experience. That's what I try to manage. But if I could choose an ideal day now, I would move with a good book to a mountain hut with a fireplace and spend the whole day there. :)
What really inspired you lately and how?
All the time that I create, nature is a great inspiration for me. We were recently traveling through Sicily and one of the places we visited was Mount Etna. The lunar landscape, the colours, structures and diversity in shades of black and gray left me with a great visual experience that I intend to use in my next work.
small marble vase no. 4
A smaller vase from the Marble vases collection by Veronika Švábeníková. Each of the marble vases has a unique abstract decor created through a series of experiments with oxides and glazes. In every design, the element of chance is of great importance, which makes the vase an unrepeatable original.
big marble vase no. 11
A bigger version of the vase from the Marble vases collection by Veronika Švábeníková. Each of the vases has a unique abstract decor that was created through a series of experiments with oxides and glazes. In every design, the element of chance is of great importance, which makes the vase an unrepeatable original.