ONE TO WATCH Ceramicist Bisila Noha
Taking inspiration from the world around her, ceramicist Bisila Noha creates exquisite pieces often with a powerful message or story behind them
Q Tell us a little bit about your background.
I was born in Spain. I studied translation and interpreting and then did a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy. So nothing related to ceramics at all. I have lived in many different places including Madrid, Leipzig, San Francisco and Vienna, and then in 2013 I moved to London, where I discovered ceramics and so this journey started. →
Q Where do you look to for inspiration?
I have always looked to nature and its movements and rhythms: often subtle, yet extremely powerful – like the power of a storm or the motion of the clouds in the sky. Conceptually, I look at history and traditions and the way ceramics have been made in different countries. Right now, I am focusing on African pottery.
Q Who has inspired you?
Most inspiring for me are the women I have been lucky to meet while travelling: the potters I met in Oaxaca, Mexico, like Rufina and her sisters, and Mama Aïcha in Morocco, for instance. Their connection to the earth, to the clay and to their work is something that I always carry with me and it has informed the way that I approach my work.
Q Tell us about your technique and the equipment you use.
Up until earlier this year, I had always thrown my work. Now I am interested in mixing both throwing and coiling to create new shapes and for a good challenge. I normally use very little equipment and tools. My favourite tools right now are some stones I got in Morocco that I use when I am hand-building and also to burnish the pieces before I fire them.
Q Do you think your work has evolved over time?
Definitely. Not only in terms of size and quality, but also when it comes to the message behind it. I had a phase during which I thought that, in order to ‘prove’ my growth, my work had to be just bigger. Now, I am more interested in using my work as part of a larger ‘mission’; as a canvas for my ideas and reflections.
Q What’s been your most exciting project so far?
The Brumas project was a key moment for me, since that’s when I started to look at my work on a more artistic basis, if you like. Plus, I had the chance to exhibit it at the London Art Fair and the Edinburgh Art Fair, among other exhibitions and fairs, which was just amazing. Baney
Clay: An Unearthed Identity, which has been my main focus of 2020, is a very personal endeavour and so it has been very important for me to keep discovering my own identity. Despite the fact that I launched it in April, just when Covid-19 and lockdown started, amazing opportunities have come up because of it and it has got a lot visibility, especially thanks to the exhibition Gatherers by Thrown Contemporary.
Q If you weren’t a ceramicist, what was plan B?
Along with my ceramics practice, I also co-direct an arts and activism organisation, Lon-art Creative. We organise exhibitions and events with a particular focus on highlighting hidden women’s stories (herstories).
“I AM MORE INTERESTED IN USING MY WORK AS PART OF A LARGER ‘MISSION’;
AS A CANVAS FOR MY IDEAS”