Sculpture

Sculptures in stoneware clay

Erik works in stoneware clay with about 50 % chamotte. The clay is at once hard, soft and flexible – it can be kneaded, shaped and built up at a calm pace. As long as the clay is kept moist, material can be added and cut away until the form is as it should be. The format is typically 10–60 cm in height, and the finished result can stand outdoors.

Material: Stoneware clay with about 50 % chamotte
Format typically 10–60 cm in height
All works are unique – one exemplar only

The working process

From block to form: Erik most often begins directly with a 10 kg block of clay, shaped with cutting tools and hands on a large turntable.
The intuitive phase: Once the essential lines are in place, the emotions and the hands work the material intuitively. The hands know what to do – they are the instrument that lets the sculpture appear.
Constructive building: On larger works the sculpture is cut through, hollowed out and joined again. This ensures correct wall thickness and minimises the risk of cracking during firing.
Firing: After complete drying, the work is bisque-fired at about 900 °C, treated with oxides and fired at about 1240 °C.

Erik Lemcke shaping stoneware clay sculptures at the worktable — Erik in his workshop

The works

The stoneware clay sculpture Embrace — Embrace
Stoneware clay, iron oxide · H37x30x28

The stoneware clay sculpture Hide and seek — Hide and seek
Stoneware clay, iron oxide · H30x21x22

The stoneware clay sculpture Christmas Angel — Christmas Angel
Stoneware clay, fired clay · H42x34x22 · 1999

The stoneware clay sculpture Listening — Listening
Stoneware clay, iron oxide · H38x28

The stoneware clay sculpture Möbius — Möbius
Stoneware clay, iron oxide · H34x21x16