Size: Hight 380mm; Diameter 320mm
Fynbos Vase with Agapanthus and Everlastings is a collaborative ceramic artwork created by Maureen Visagé and myself, inspired by the delicate beauty and quiet strength of the Cape fynbos.
Maureen hand-built the vessel in her studio, shaping the clay to give the vase its balanced, sculptural form. Once the clay reached a leather-dry state, it became my canvas. I painted a composition of Agapanthus and Everlastings, drawn to their soft blue hues and pale, luminous tones that evoke the cool light and open skies of the Cape landscape. Using underglazes, I built up the colours in layers, allowing subtle shifts and depth to emerge through the firing process.
Working in ceramics feels especially freeing to me, the transformation in the kiln introduces an element of unpredictability, where colours soften, intensify or change in unexpected ways. This dialogue between intention and chance is what makes the medium so rewarding.
Each of us brought our own craft to the piece: Maureen through clay, fire and glaze, and myself through paint and botanical detail. Together, this vase celebrates the gentle rhythms, resilience and diversity of the fynbos, and the pleasure of collaborating to honour it.