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Clair Unger | Episode 1105
Clare Unger uses hand stitching as a means of mark making on clay slabs to create ceramic vessels for domestic use. In this way Clare pays homage to her female ancestors for whom sewing and stitching was an important means of creative self-expression in their role as home makers.
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How much time do you dedicate to stitch work?
I don’t do stitching all the time. I will have periods where I spend time doing stitching and then I will make those into the tiles and then spend more time probably making the work than the stitching. So the stitching is probably less time than the making. I will also do it in periods like the evening, stuff like that.
Are there threads you like to use best because they transfer a texture mor intensely into your bisque?
I tend to be more experimental so I’ll try lots of different threads. I will try thicker wool, thinner wool,. I do sometimes us the Sashiko threads. You get different thicknesses and thinness. So I am looking it more in terms of not the perfect thread but just different threads.
Is the idea that it is hand stitched by you does that make each piece unique and difficult to repeat by others?
Yes, I would say so because I think it is quite a technical process and I think the fact that each step is made by me it would be very hard for somebody to exactly replicate it. And I think stitching is a bit like writing, it has it’s own signature of the person who made it. Unless you are following a pattern that someone else has drawn maybe, but I think for mine each step is kind of imperfect.
How many slabs of bisqueware do you have that you are working off of?
I have lots. I probably have about 30 but I am always adding to them as well because I get tired of them and I want to try something new.
Do you ever retire a pattern?
Some of the very first ones I made because they were quite basic I haven’t used but I suppose I work in series and then if I finish a series I might not use those particular ones for awhile. I might start using some other ones or make new ones.
Do you have favorite story of someone’s reaction towards your work?
I can’t think of one off hand but I do feel that often that when people reach out to contact me they often feel a connection to the stitching side of it and they will often relate a story of their childhood or their mum teaching them or something like that. It is like a connection to your past or a different time of your life.
Book
Threads of Life by Clare Hunter
Contact
Instagram: @clare_unger