Becoming clay
At The Ode To we are always curious to learn more about creativity and artistry, so we asked Sara Mirkhani to tell us a little bit about her life, her art and her sources of inspiration.
Sara Mirkhani
What do you call your series of artworks?
– It’s called ‘Our Eternal Body’.
What technique have you used?
– Throwing.
What inspired you to create the artworks you have made for The Ode To?
– Usually, my work develops from a concept and a context which later in the process will be given a physical shape in clay. I mostly make my objects using techniques like wheel throwing or pinching the stoneware or porcelain clay.
Working with bone china – a certain type of porcelain invented in the 1790's in England – leads me to a position both as a craftsperson and as a human being. The relationship between the clay and I obtains another turn, as I now understand that I literally can become clay. We are literally and metaphorically rooted in clay at the same time. This experience of the relationship between body and the clay is my main source of inspiration for the idea behind this project. Life is circular and interconnected, transforming from one body to another. As living organisms, we’re bound to the eternal cycle of change. From body to ash, ash to soil, soil to earth.
This thought has manifested into abstract cocoons – a symbol of metamorphosis that comes from thrown cylinders and cones that have been cut up and put together. Some have a smooth and soft expression; some have a rougher and messier expression and some of them are in between.
Can you tell us about your artistic education?
I’ve studied 'Craft- Glass and Ceramics' at The Royal Danish Academy and graduated in 2021.
How would you describe your art and aesthetics in three words?
Slow, material based and present.
What we love about Sara Mirkhani:
The art of Sara Mirkhani is not only utterly beautiful – it also raises questions about life itself.
