IVANA BIZIC

My relationship with clay started long before I became a ceramic artist.

I studied Egyptology and took part in archaeological excavations in Egypt, working on both Ancient Egyptian and Neolithic sites. I was always drawn to the pottery we found there. Some pieces were beautifully decorated, others were incredibly simple, but each one had a story. I found myself wondering about the hands that had made them, thousands of years ago.

At some point, I wanted to stop just looking at pottery and start making it myself.

I began working with clay in Serbia and continued after moving to France. I became particularly interested in wheel throwing and later travelled to Kyoto to deepen my practice. My time in Japan had a lasting influence on the way I think about pottery. I love the simplicity of Japanese forms, the importance of the gesture, and the idea that an everyday object can be beautiful without being perfect.

In many ways, this brings me back to the ancient pottery that first caught my attention.

Today, I work mainly with stoneware, throwing on the wheel and also hand-building. I make pieces for the table and the home, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces and small series. I enjoy simple forms, but also the little variations, textures and marks that remind you that each piece was made by hand.

I have explored many techniques over the years, including Raku, which was an important part of my work for a time. I also make jewellery using silver clay, particularly Art Clay Silver.

My studio in Bordeaux is not only where I make my own work. It is also where I teach pottery and wheel throwing. I really enjoy sharing the process with people who are discovering clay for the first time.

For me, the magic of ceramics is still the same as when I first started: clay comes from the earth, and somehow, through our hands and fire, it becomes something we can use, live with and keep.

I still find that amazing.

My creations were used for the book "Once Upon a Liver in the Southwest" [«Il était une f’oie dans le Sud-Ouest»] where my plates accompanied gourmet recipes from the Southwestern region of France.

The book was published by SudOuest Editions in 2018.

Specialisation:
Wheel Throwing - Kyoto 2023
Raku - Gradignan 2016-2018
PaperClay - Milan 2017
Artclay Silver - Chicago 2016