Permanent Traces, Temporary Atmospheres
poppy cowan
Wdka Willem De Kooning Academy
This work investigates the tension between permanence and ephemerality through the combination of ceramic vessels and personalised scents. The ceramic vessel simultaneously preserves and fails to preserve, stabilising physical traces of place on its surface while containing a scent that inevitably dissipates. The project consists of a series of hand-thrown ceramic vessels, each containing a personalised perfume. Each vessel represents a specific type of location significant to me. The materials that mark the surface of each vessel correspond to those gathered at each site and are saggar-fired onto the vessel’s surface. Similarly, the scent inside reflects the materials that mark the surface. Together, the intention is for each vessel to represent one specific location and attempt to encapsulate its memory through aesthetics and scent.