Artist statement Vivian Rosa Koelichen

My sculptural work is abstract. This abstraction happened gradually through doing and observing. When modelling, I am interested in capturing the essence of the ceramic object, removing any accessory. From this exercise arise pieces increasingly removed from reality. They become "another reality".

 I prepare my own clay bodies, glazes and engobes to express my primary intention from the material. Clean forms but with rich textures.

Making these sculptures entails dealing with a lot of tension and risk because I play with the precarious balance. After all that stress, all that nervousness, I seek for the result to express serenity. Chaos turns into calm, ready for reflection.

Artist biography

Vivian Rosa Koelichen was born in the south of Chile in 1957. At the age of 20 she moved to Santiago de Chile, where she studied translation and raised a family. She first became interested in ceramics in 2002, when she started attending classes at Lise Moller´s Ceramic Studio in Santiago. To complement the ceramic classes, she took drawing, engraving and sculpting classes with different artists. In 2004 she quit her job as a translator and built a studio – with an electric kiln -, to devote herself entirely to ceramics, though experimenting, reading and teaching.

In 2008 she became a member at the Huara Huara Ceramic Studio to learn from and interact with all the participants in the exciting and inspiring atmosphere of this prestigious studio directed by Ruth Krauskopf. She is constantly taking part in workshops and courses conducted by Chilean and foreign ceramists.

She has held solo exhibitions and participated in numerous collective juried exhibitions in local galleries and museums. Her work has been published in Chilean ceramic magazines and books.