and art work. This year especially, it felt good being at tables where there was more space there were better conversations about the books. It can be overwhelming to be faced with everything you are interested in, haha. How have you juggled doing Slow Editions projects and maintaining a personal practice? Do you see them as one in the same? I make a lot of sculptures and my own paintings and a functional line of ceramics. But I think they all blend into each other. I’m really bad at doing my taxes, haha. But I think they all fall into the same genre… “my practice” haha. It all works out. It’s also pretty affordable. You can set things up so that you can make stuff with whatever you can. It doesn’t have to be expensive all of the time or a huge edition all of the time. Make whatever you can without feeling the pressure to make it expensive. How has your practice changed from living in Toronto to living in Japan? Have you changed the type of work you make because of your circumstances? I think it’s greatly changing what I make. I just think of
making things that are easier to transport and that are lighter and less fragile than ceramics. We’ve already got too many of them. Living far away also has an influence on how much I make, because I just don’t want to worry about shipping. I’m also trying to understand that when I’m in a different place, that change is meant to encourage making a different types of works that are more suitable for the space. I’m focused on more site specific works that are softer or smaller or more delicate. I just made a small scarf, but it’s not here yet. It’s of a dog and it’s made out of silk. Instead of bringing posters, I tried printing on a piece of soft textile. It serves as both a poster as well as something functional. I want to try going that route, while still adding a personal touch to it, like embroidering all of the tags, or adding something of mine. A little blood, haha. When does a project feel finished to you? When you finally want it! Once it has become that. It’s not that hard if you don’t complicate it. Just let it be and it will reach its final destination and its pure form at its own pace. I don’t rush projects and sometimes I just try to see what happens. Sometimes being in Japan limits what I
“The really big bar of soap was done with Sophy Naess. She made these really nice soaps that are all individually cast, and it comes in a box with an image of a woman speaking clearly from her heart.”
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