Adi Avidani

Adi Avidani is an Israeli artist and art teacher based in London. Fascinatedby the clear connection she finds between clay and people, Adi uses clay to portray human relations Adi is currently working on a collection of chains and knots, shedding light on the essence of human relationships, our connections, limitations, desires,temptations and dreams. She also strives to accentuate the contrasting nature of chains, an object often associated with imprisonment - and how it also evokes a strong sense of security and consistency. Most of Adi's inspiration comes from her early life in Jerusalem, and the contrast of living in a loving warm home, on such conflicted grounds. Instagram: @adi.avidani

Lava Chain

'Of Human Bondage' is a series of clay chains and clay knots.

All chains were extruded, assembled by hand and fired to cone 7 in an electric kiln.

Salmon Chain

Salmon Pink Chain
Buff Clay
W50cm/L60cm,
Ring diameter: 5cm
Ring thickness: 1 cm
Fired to 999 degrees and soak for 45 mins in an electrical kiln.

Lava Chain
Black Lava clay, rich in iron
35/35 cm
Ring diameter: 5cm
Ring thickness: 1 cm

Hammock Chain
Buff Clay
L100cm
Width- from 10cm gradually to 50cm (this is a symmetric shape)

What would you like people to take away from your work?

Since my work revolves around human relations and personal development, I hope the viewers would be inspired to delve into their inner selves and observe their relations: with themselves, their surroundings, their passions and fears. Though they feel very personal to me, I believe my creations can reflect an inner truth in anyone. Their ability to be moved around freely allows the chains to portray different contexts depending on their arrangement, which I feel resembles my relationship with the audience and my role as an artist.

Why do you find clay is the best material to translate your ideas with?

In my eyes, clay represents both ephemerality and eternality. When we fire clay, we create a substance that is almost eternal, that can endure fire, water and even breaking. According to Kintsugi, the Japanese philosophy, the breaking and repairing of a pot is a symbol for embracing our flaws and imperfections.

I believe the contrast between the eternality of clay and the dynamicity of my chains portrays the philosophy behind my work - the lightness and balance in being chained, coexisting with the limitation in being free, and our constant need for society and a support network and validations. 

Hammock Chain

The salmon chain also conveys another message - it’s a more delicate chain, since it was fired at a lower temperature and only once, and requires both the artist and the viewer to observe it with extra care.
Adding another layer of vulnerability is the fact that all of the clay I use is recyclable - passed down from the hands of people who never found a purpose for it.

Where would you like your work to be seen?

I would like my work to be exposed to wide varieties of audiences, of different backgrounds and ethnicities, to fulfil its potential and shine light on the understanding that we all have our own fears, passions and needs, to connect on similar grounds.

Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?

My world of inspiration stretches far beyond ceramics artists. I am greatly inspired by literature, and in this project, I was influenced by philosophers Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre and their long discussion on essence vs. meaning. 

I am moved by the recent works of the Italian novelist Elena Ferrante, (The Neapolitan Novels), addressing the power and inspiration that lies within family ties, I find constant inspiration in her words. Furthermore, the fact Elena Ferrante uses a pen name and is anonymous, strengthens the fact that meaning lies in the eyes of the beholder. The art comes to life through the reader, and I find that is also the case with my chains thanks to their dynamicity.

I am also fascinated by the works of El Anatsui. I find that, as artists, we are both affected by the impact of repetition, and usage of various elements in our works.

I appreciate his ecological usage of bottle caps, granting them a new meaning and purpose, which they never served before. I am greatly inspired by his series (1977-1981) “Broken Pots”, and the way it changes the status and roles of artefacts and objects in our daily lives.

Another great source of my inspiration is my hometown, Jerusalem, and the sometimes-destructive imbalance of its nature, as well as its architecture and social structure.

Furthermore, I believe that community and creative environments have a large impact on my inspiration, and the daily interaction with my multicultural group of colleagues has greatly contributed to my work.