For some artists, instead of canvasses, ceramics serve as a challenging material for artistic expression.
“You put a blue and it may become red. You paint on a plate like a blind person and cannot see the result until the piece is fired in the kiln,” said Isao Llorens Ishikawa, the curator of Plats d’Artistes and director of the Josep Llorens Artigas Foundation.
The works were created at the foundation’s workshop in Spain’s Catalonian village of Gallifa. Almost 50 artists from around the world “dished” out calligraphy, oriental, abstract and erotic works on ceramic plates.
The foundation’s collaboration with Swiss cosmetics brand Valmont led to the travelling “Plats d’Artistes” exhibition, first to Hydra in Greece last year. A selection of 30 plates is now on public display at Gallery by the Harbour in Hong Kong until Sunday, as one of Valmont’s “When Art Meets Beauty” projects.
Isao Llorens Ishikawa with Valmont president Didier Guillon at the ‘Plats D’Artistes’ exhibition.
The exhibition is an homage to Isao’s grandfather, Josep Llorens Artigas, a famed Spanish ceramist who worked with 20th century revolutionary artists such as Picasso and Joan Miro.
Isao’s father, Joan Gardy Artigas, is a sculptor and his Japanese mother is also an artist. Isao himself is a painter.
“I prefer painting because it requires less patience. Working on ceramics you have to wait and see what will come out from the kiln,” he said. “However, my grandfather made it easier by sharing his techniques and secrets in a book, explaining how to get each colour by the traditional way of making ceramics that we still continue to use today at the foundation.”
He said China and Japan are cradles for ceramic art and craftsmanship and the foundation workshop uses the Japanese traditional wooden Noborigama kiln to fire clay.
“The wood, the firing, the smoke, the chemical reaction gives the clay and glazes a completely different colour. You can’t do things like that with an electric or gas kiln,” he said. “We have combined this old-fashioned method with a contemporary take on art, giving the plates long-lasting colours, whereas colours on paintings may fail the test of time.”
Isao’s iconic works portray creatures, such as birds and butterflies, as symbols of life. A golden butterfly adorning a black plate numbers among his works displayed at the exhibition.
Other works include those of Eduardo Chillida, famed for his monumental mental sculptures, Antoni Tapies notable for his abstract style rife with symbolism, Roland Topor, known for his surrealism, and Barry Flanagan, who was featured in the BBC biographical film, The Man Who Sculpted Hares.
Their plates show each artist’s signature style, such as Chillida’s minimalism and Flanagan’s playful hare.
Valmont president Didier Guillon hopes to take the exhibition to other destinations, as he believes in employing art as a brand identity to differentiate the Swiss beauty house from its competitors.
“It’s not just a travelling but a living exhibition involving an increasing number of artists and plates,” said Guillon. “A plate is an object that we use every day. The artists have etched their talent and stories on its surface. You can easily see and understand what is on the plate. It’s not conceptual apart from Chillida’s piece, which is very minimalist.”
Collaborating with leading artists, the brand infuses art in its visuals, packaging design, cosmetic counters and spa treatment rooms. Isao’s butterfly has also become a symbol of beauty for Valmont, notable for its biotechnology and anti-ageing triple DNA ingredient extracted from wild salmon roe.
Guillon said he hopes to bring the “When Art Meets Beauty” programme to Bangkok.
“With the growing collection, the exhibition will feature new artists, new plates. We don’t want to do a huge exhibition or something for the elite. We want the public to come and see how we serve art on plates.”
A plate with a golden butterfly by Isao.
