Petrus Spronk

“The beginning. Returning to the source. The simple black bowl. After my eight year journey around the world, during which time I worked and lived in many different cultures I returned filled with riches all of which, in one way or another, are to be found in the simple black bowl forms.”

“For most of my life I have lived in solitude, in both the outback and forest. As part of this I have been also able to observe the visual aspects of bushfires. This came to a high point when I flew over the burned landscape of Victoria and South Australia less then a week after the Ash Wednesday Bushfires. Removing the emotional aspects of what I was looking at I saw many intensely beautiful landscape images. These have influenced and aesthetically fed me for many years.”

“Drawing upon my notes, photographs and sketches from architectural domes, found in the various Islamic cultures in which I lived and worked, and understanding the magical geometric qualities of these upside down bowls, I created a series of bowls based on these considerations.”

“During 1999 I lived and worked for 6 months in Korea as an artist in residence. Imagine going to a place where everything is totally different, where each sense is stimulated in a new way. If you are able to be in such a place with an open heart and mind much can be gained. And was.

In summery, these works are the result of my physical interaction with shapeless lumps of clay and a wood-fired kiln. Additionally, there have been many subtle influences in my life, which have carried over into my work and may, at first looking, not be too obvious. There have been many friends and many meetings. There has been a total commitment to this work. There has been, and is, much spirit and soul. There are many stories and memories. And, as an underlying strength of all this, there is the love for the simple act of using my hands to make something beautiful.”