For several decades Marek Cecula (b. 1944, Poland) has been a leading figure in the international field of ceramic design, in the productive connection between design and art and the unique relationship with porcelain. Cecula is active as a designer, artist, maker, curator, and educator. His spirit is international and at present he works in Poland and New York after years that he moved between Israel, Brazil, Norway, England, and other countries.
Cecula’s works cross between different worlds that are sometimes in apposition and have drawn world attention to the industrial production of porcelain as a carrier of culture, as a subject for investigation and as an active playing field that is legitimate and poetic. Cecula has a deep connection with industrial manufacturing of porcelain, with European tradition and makes exceptional functional work as well as work that is deliberately deformed. The works made by Cecula are characterized by their high level of execution, playfulness, and the relationship between abstract shapes and colors, modernist de-constructive ideas and utility.
In a less optimistic vein, the past years have brought “new winds” to Israel and the world which unravel the relationship between citizens and their countries, that challenge the democratic structure of society, and expose the weakness of democracy and its difficulty to defend itself. Global and local trends are interconnected. In Israel the evolving disaster is still fresh and evident in all aspects of life. Despite the local characteristic of the current crisis, it is impossible to ignore the global trend that challenges the democratic structure and the movement of totalitarian powers that are strengthening.
The exhibition Disintegration relates to these trends and the porcelain expresses this as deformed, destroyed, and disintegrated. And so Cecula adds another layer to his making in porcelain, profound and critical. Marek Cecula made this statement that is current and horrifying:
There is nothing quite like porcelain to capture the dark realities of our world today.
Its fragile and precious nature stands at the epicenter of our daily rituals at home, having essential roles in our lives not only as a utilitarian product but also as an artistic and valuable object. For this presentation, I have chosen to use traditional porcelain forms to transfer their physical appearance and to challenge their intended utilitarian purpose. The marks, cracks, holes, and deformations presented on these pieces are unusual for porcelain; they bring the association of decay, corrosion, or violent treatment in some unrecognizable way.
This destructive yet creative process aims to evoke emotions by presenting domestic porcelain products in a disintegrated state. Creating these works goes against the conventional methods of forming ceramic pieces. Instead of focusing on skillful craftsmanship and perfection, I deliberately chose a destructive approach that altered the appearance and utilitarian function of the porcelain ware.
