Live & Local - Anya Fischer Q&A

Anya is one of the resident artists at The Incubator’s arts exhibition and education space Satellite Studio, based in Historic Village. You can catch Anya’s work on display at their space from 10am to 3pm daily or follow her on Instagram @anyafischerart – but we caught Anya for a quick chat.

How would you describe your artistic / design style?

My ceramics are handmade, organic and contemporary.

What are some of the ways/things/places you draw inspiration from?

I am inspired by New Zealand landscape and ocean, but most of all by the transformative power of nature that reshapes both organic and inorganic things. Working with clay and fire gives me a small-scale taster of volcanic activity and living by the beach allows me to observe the power of water. 

What do you enjoy most about your chosen art form/field of creativity?

How incredibly tactile pottery is. I love defying the expectations about ceramics. Instead of building distant, fragile works I put my heart and soul into creating tactile pieces that invite the viewer to touch, stroke, and explore.  

What are some of the biggest challenges you face?

Letting go of expectations and rigid plans. Clay can be unpredictable – very often the piece suggest itself during work.Firing and glazing are both destructive and constructive - allowing it to take its course takes a lot of faith and trust.

What is something you have found surprising about your work, or something that was unexpected in the process of creating your artwork / design?

Glazes are always a source of wonder. The only certain about ceramic firing process is that nothing is certain unexpected and surprising results happen at every firing.