Reclaim: Actioning Adaptive Reuse and Place-Centred Experimentation in a Contemporary Ceramic Practice

<p dir="ltr"><i>Reclaim: Actioning Adaptive Reuse and Place-Centred Experimentation in a Contemporary </i><i>Ceramic Practice</i> is a research project that critically explores ceramics as a medium for fostering ecological awareness and connection to place. Responding to the ongoing environmental crisis and the ecologically destructive systems of extractivism inherent in ceramic production, the project investigates how contemporary ceramic practices might counteract these harmful systems by focusing on adaptive reuse, material residue, and relational connections between human and nonhuman entities. Through an examination of ceramics’ cultural and material entanglements, this research seeks to reclaim the medium’s potential for ecological responsibility, shifting it from a process of resource depletion to one of material recuperation and relational healing.</p><p dir="ltr">The project is framed around two central questions: How might a contemporary ceramic practice explore the ecology of a place? How can ceramics encourage a more mindful relationship with the environment? These inquiries guide the use of ceramic materials, particularly waste, recycled glaze, and process-generated residues, as a site for experimentation and reflection on the broader ecological narratives of place. The title <i>Reclaim</i> not only refers to the recuperative nature of recycled clay, but also serves as a call to action for an ecologically conscious transformation of ceramic practice. By examining the cultural, geological, and ecological relationships inherent in ceramic materials, the project integrates theoretical frameworks from scholars such as Heather Davis, Mary Graham, and Marcia Bjornerud to address the colonial and environmental histories tied to extractive practices.</p><p dir="ltr">The research is embodied in studio practice that includes site-specific experiments conducted at three locations: a community garden, the artist’s home, and a communal ceramic studio. These works employ waste materials as a way of mapping, transforming, and reimagining the connections between place, process, and material. Drawing on process-based experimentation, the project uses material residue to question traditional notions of value and legacy in ceramics.</p><p dir="ltr">The works produced, including <i>Leftovers</i>, <i>Common Ground</i>, and <i>Distant Blues</i> (from the body of work <i>Trace Fossil</i>), engage in a dialogue about fragmentation, time, and the generative potential of discarded materials. This exploration echoes the works of artists like Eva Hesse and Bianca Hester, and theorists such as Briony Fer, who advocate for seeing material residue as a legitimate artistic language and a tool for ecological reconciliation.</p>