Ram Sundararajan,
Ram's Ceramics,
San Jose, CA
Email: swamysri@gmail.com
Website: https://ramsceramics.godaddysites.com/
Artist Portfolio:
I am a completely self-trained ceramic artist and all my ceramic work is influenced by mother and grandmother’s extensive threadwork. Most of my work is about form and surface. I extrude clay and weave them into large sheets of woven clay and bend and wrap them to every day shapes we all are accustomed to seeing. I pre dominantly use bright underglazes and a mix of contrasting colors and glazes before and after bisque firing to emphasize the patterns. I am an explorer and experimenter with ceramic materials and processes and try to push the ability of the material to the edge. My biggest motivator is when I hear people holding my piece of art and asking me is this really clay ! I can be contacted by email or by phone (408) 637-8285.
Studio Description:
My studio is a garage converted to studio. My work mainly involves extruded clay and some times slab. I have a large working table to help with the same along with an hand and wall mounted extruder. I have a Brent wheel which helps to finish my work and an electric kiln.
What type of clay do you use?
B-mix, Porcelain - sometimes naturally colored clay like Red Stoneware, B3 Brown, Obsidian.
What temperature do you fire to?
Cone 04 - Cone 6.
What is your primary forming method?
I use extensively extruded clay and weave them into sheet of woven clay and shape them.
I use objects from the natural landscape as tools.
What one word would you use to describe your work?
Palpable.
What is the one thing in your studio you can’t live without?
Lighting.
Natural Ventilation & Light. Display space Coffee Maker.
What’s on your current reading list?
Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain by Betty Edwards.
How do you save money on materials and supplies?
Reclaim my clay, brush underglazes and dip into clear glazes.
How do you recharge creatively?
Talking to my Sister.
What challenges have you given yourself to overcome?
Intricate designs with weaving.
What ceramic superpower would you have and why?
Air packet free wedging – I waste quite a bit of extruded clay due to air packets or pieces break in late stages.
Why do you create art?
As the song by Bobby McFerrin goes “Don’t Worry Be Happy…”, art helps me to energize and be happy.
If you could change one property of clay, what would it be?
Reduce the speed of drying of clay.
