This unique ceramic artwork is the latest result of my ongoing collaboration with Cape Town ceramicist Maureen Visagé. Together, we’ve created a one-of-a-kind vessel that celebrates the vivid, resilient beauty of the Cape’s fynbos flora — this time focusing on Pincushions and Everlastings.
Hand-built by Maureen in her studio, the vase provided a beautiful canvas for me to paint a new botanical composition directly onto the leather-dry clay. Using vibrant underglazes, I illustrated a flowing tapestry of Pincushion proteas, Everlasting flowers, Restios, and silvery Helichrysum leaves — each chosen for its texture, shape, and symbolic link to our local floral kingdom. To further enrich the surface, I carved fine grooves and organic marks into the clay, adding layers of texture and depth.
Once the painting and carving were complete, Maureen carefully guided the vessel through its transformation in the kiln. She applied selected glazes to enhance the detail and added her signature touches of gold lustre, bringing a luminous, almost ethereal quality to the final piece.
The result is a richly textured and finely detailed ceramic vase — a celebration of fynbos beauty and the collaborative spirit of artmaking. I’m so happy with how it turned out.
