PORTHOLES

The sea and land has always been at the foundation of Tanya Gomez’s inspiration and work. Having grown up by the sea and travelled on it for nearly a decade, her work can often imply a sense of movement, the fluidity of water in motion, while also mirroring the depth and mystery of the sea and its intangible horizon. Trained at the renowned Royal College of Art in London, Gomez’s explorations in ceramic have primarily focused on porcelain and the dynamic and unique glazing this refined material allows for. She has exhibited all over the world with her most recent commission being at Versailles in Paris.

Tanya’s most recent work, Portholes, is a new departure, an investigation into layering glazes and multi firings to create a painterly surface that has a sense of depth, an invitation into another world, one that is infinitely intriguing, whether the deep ocean or space. As the title suggests, portholes are a way to see that which often cannot be seen, looking into an expanse, both actual and internal, giving insight into the world beyond our day to day existence. Portholes is a view onto the mesmeric and mysterious, an invitation to look deeply.

These exquisite porcelain collectable pieces, titled Portholes, are thrown with Limoges porcelain from France. Due to the thick rims and nature of the clay the pieces are dried slowly and carefully. Once fired, glazes of different strength of stains are sprayed and brushed on, applying thin layers. Between each thin layer, there is a firing, each time reaching up to 1280°. A final firing of 12% gold lustre is diligently applied on. This technique builds up the glaze and colour, leading to an unparalleled richness in tone. Multiple firings are necessary to achieve these transcendent pieces of works.