Barbara Gittings

Interior space exhibition and

Chalk, flint, clay, shore

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Born and raised in South Africa, Barbara draws inspiration from African designs, the rock samples her geologist father brought home and her love of all things geometric.

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Nature achieves a multi-layered effect via the laying down of strata, weathering and erosion. The geometry in nature intrigues Barbara especially when skewed or distorted.  She hopes to catch echoes of this in her work.

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Barbara strives to integrate form and substance and hopes that her pieces have a physical presence connecting spiritually and aesthetically with the viewer beyond words.

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She works with a grogged porcelain using nerikomo techniques.  This consists of putting oxides or stains into the clay to colour it and then joining layers of colours to put patterns through the clay.

Barbara then hand builds the pieces, occasionally using moulds.  After biscuit firing to 1060 degrees the pieces are sanded and further decorated, using various resists.  Then they are smoke fired and polished.  The work is purely decorative as it is low fired and not impermeable.

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