Claudi Casanovas is an acclaimed ceramic artist who has achieved international renown for his experimental sculptural works.
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Having grown up in Olot in Catalonia and with an early interest in ceramics, Casanovas moved to Barcelona in 1974 to study theatre and ceramics. Returning to Olot he built his first kiln in 1975, and between 1978-87 he was part of a potter's cooperative who exhibited and shared expertise together. As part of this group, he met and worked with a number of Japanese ceramicists, forming a lasting friendship with master potter Koie Ryoji.
He held his first exhibition in 1982, for which he was starting to experiment with different techniques and sculptural forms, moving away from the domestic wares of his earlier output. More exhibitions followed in the following years, in Spain and further afield, and Casanovas continues to exhibit internationally. His work has been awarded numerous international prizes and is represented in many public collections.
Casanovas' works represent a continuous series of experiments with clay, incorporating organic materials as well as metals and metal oxides into the clay and sandblasting the fired surfaces to achieve highly textured and eroded surfaces. Some of his most distinctive works are the large scale wall pieces made of mixed clays with richly textured and laminated surfaces, and his bowls and block works that take on the characteristics of geological strata or fossilised wood.
Dates
1956 Born in Barcelona, Spain
1975 Set up his first kiln in Olot
1978-87 Participation with 'Coure Cooperative'
1982 First solo exhibition 'Cortezas de Tierra' (Earth Bark), at the Olot Museum
1988 Built new larger kiln, and first exhibition at Anita Besson Gallery in London
1990 Visit to Japan to work in Koie Ryoji's workshop
Artwork
