Heidi Hentze

“My hope is that these new Architectonic pieces will present the viewer with a bit of an “it reminds me of...” feeling, and simultaneously with a curiosity into how they were constructed.”

Heidi Hentze investigates porcelain and glaze in poetically folded pieces. Based on inspiration from architecture and kirigami, her ‘Architectonics’ collection for this exhibition challenges our perceptions of material, gravity, and classic slab techniques. Meticulously assembling paper-thin clay constructions, Hentze applies an extraordinary level of skill to slab-building – “a very precise and time-consuming process, in which I challenge the boundaries of how thin my porcelain can be without breaking.” It is a process of precision, accident and experimentation.

Developing the structure of the ‘Architectonics’ begins by intuitively cutting geometric shapes into cardboard, which are then taped together to explore the possibilities of sculptural form. These cardboard shapes become architectural ‘walls’, that are then drawn onto clay and cut out. Where this collection for Flow departs from her usual process is a new conceptual idea: using the leftover cut-offs from previous projects.

“These cut-offs revealed to me a more intuitive and unexpected composition of patterns, angles and colours. Thus, they are an architectural construction that I could not have planned with my ruler and my perfectionism. It’s a bit transgressive for me, to give up control, but also quite refreshing to work in this more playful and imperfect manner.”

This unpredictable element can bring surprises revealed only by the ring process, such as an unexpectedly pink-coloured wall from a previous project’s cut-off that she only noticed after the piece emerged from the kiln. Yet, this uncontrolled facet to her construction “added value and reference to this Architectonic”, Hentze feels; an added value only possible “in the objects that are not too re ned by my perfectionism.”

In her collection for Flow, the architectural reference points have been a touch inspired by Christensen’s “grid construction”, Hentze describes, as well as “by American houses on my trip to the states in March 2023.” The universal presence of buildings in our environments, however, encourages viewers to draw their own connections to the pieces’ forms. Through their simplicity and abstraction, the constructions evoke dream-like interpretations of buildings – at once solid and empty. The result is an atmosphere of fragile existence, where presence and absence are often the focal points of Hentze’s crisp, delicate pieces.

“It is often the mishaps that open up new paths in my work and in this manner, I constantly advance my technique. The walls in my works are a compromise between patterns, shadow play and supporting constructions.”

“All my work evolves from observations and impressions found in the Natural world: details, patterns, texture, shapes, colour nuances, combinations, found objects. In Nature you can find everything from perfection to chaos, and to find ways to express this is a never-ending source of inspiration for me.”