Louise Gelderblom

Louise Gelderblom is a South African designer working in clay. She is known for making bespoke, hand built ceramics in her studio at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town.

Gelderblom regards the work as a representation of a continuous internal dialogue. Each piece follows on from the piece that was made before. It is as if the ceramics are brief voyeuristic insights into the her life and mind- informed and inspired by literature, typography, repetition in the built and natural environment, percussion, travel, human connection and the infinitely subtle nuances thereof. The basis of this intellectual and personal expereince informs the shape, mark-making and surface treatment of Gelderblom’s work, creating substance and integrity in the finished forms. Although the gestures and marks appear to be spontanious and random they are in fact highly intentional and deliberate. Each piece that Gelderblom works on creates a moment within which she engages with her current reality and inspiration.

The results of Gelderblom’s art making process are ceramic forms that tell a story of perserverance, cultural identity and South Africa, reconciling the connections between traditional clay practice and high end design. The maker’s hands are present in every detail as a result of the tactile method of building with coils. When engaging with Gelderblom’s designs it becomes clear that this deeply personal production process encourages an intimate insight into her mind and experience.