Studio Luske

Sculptures of leftover clay from ArtEZ’s ceramics studio

‘I ask my students to find the ugliest mug possible. After seeing the hilarious things they have found, we reflect on the fact that it is possible to order such a mug online for a few euros. That means it has been produced, glazed and fired somewhere.’ Sander Luske tries to instillin his students the importance of using resources sparingly.

Sander is a ceramicist and designer who, in addition to his design practice, works as a teacher of Ceramics and Design at ArtEZ Art Academy in Arnhem. There, he researches how ceramics education can be made more sustainable. ‘There are several areas in which we can start to do things differently, for example by choosing more carefully which objects are fired in the kiln and how we can reduce the amount of residual materials.’

One waste material that Sander noticed are blocks of clay that have dried out for some reason or another. ‘Students sometimes make sculptures out of solid clay, which are then left standing, or a block is left unnoticed  and allowed to dry up.’ For Crafts Council Nederlands (w)aardewerk project, Sander explores what he can do with these blocks of clay in order to give them added value or a use again.

Sander formed a design duo with Jan Broekstra in the 90s, aiming to shake up the ceramics world. ‘Crockery was seen as something old-fashioned back then. Our aim was to challenge people to take tableware out of those showy cupboards and just start using it.’ Among other things, they designed a collection of wafer-thin ‘disposable porcelain’ and a ceramic hat for Viktor&Rolf that was then smashed on the catwalk. ‘We really wanted to make a statement,’ he says.

Nowadays, Sander remains convinced that people should use their ceramics as much as possible, but from a sustainable perspective: ‘Ceramics don’t perish. There are still perfectly usable plates from the VOC era (15th- 16th centuries). So many ceramics are produced, should we really be able to bring just anything into creation? It would be good if people keep using what they have as much as possible.’

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Using clay as a mould material has a big advantage, in that clay can be kneaded back into other shapes after use. This saves a lot of material. Sander is working towards a digital archive for these moulds, so that the designs can be remade when needed, whilst the moulds themselves can be recycled and used in new designs. ‘As long as clay is not fired, it can be reused. We also want to apply this idea to the shape studies students do. If we challenge students to record their work properly, we won’t have to bake off all their work and it can be reused. This approach fits more with these times.’

Sander also thinks the (w)aardewerk community of practice fits with these times. ‘When I was a student, I wanted to learn to make porcelain. My teacher refused to teach me because he didn’t think I was serious enough. Back then, there was much more of a culture of “not looking in each other’s kitchens” so to speak. I am glad that this has changed, and that we are instead exchanging. Also from a sustainability perspective, this is so much better.’ In the future, Sander says much more is to come in terms of digital sharing. ‘How nice would it be to let people experience a design via Virtual Reality before it is even made? So much is still possible.’

@sanderluske
luske.nl

Text: Anke Vromen
Photography: Fan Liao