Hagenclay: Ceramic art by Erika Pazmandi Hagen
Erika Pazmandi Hagen grew up in Hungary and later moved to California, where she now lives and works. A self-taught ceramic artist, Erika creates highly detailed works -- under the moniker Hagenclay -- in which tiny ceramic figures interact with, and become part of, household vessels.
I find the works in Erika’s gallery of vases really interesting. It seems that the nature of this type of vessel allows the most possible room for experimentation with form and figure. Some of the works in this gallery are fairly straightforward vases with minimal embellishment, while others seem to be sculptural first and foremost. I especially enjoy the series of vases that are sculpted to look like tree trunks – they’re technically well-executed, and the plant-like look and feel would make a lovely foil for flowers.
Erika's portfolio website, www.hagenclay.com
Erika’s teapots, too, turn a recognizable ceramic shape into a grounding form for small sculptural moments – in the case of her teapots, each pot is topped with tiny houses, as if a small village has sprung up on top of the vessel.
