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Master's story

Pepsi ceramics Helemall Maask

Helemall Maask

ceramisist

I am a pottery teacher and craftsman. I encourage both children and adults to become friends with clay in Räpina Creative House. I make practical and beautiful food utensils for homes, special items with special patterns and personal messages as gifts, souvenirs for companies and events.
I have been operating as an entrepreneur since 2014.

I am a curious person and therefore I have tried different professions, sciences and activities. All of them have always revolved around human nature, art, culture and handicrafts. I am looking for beauty and I am fascinated by the existing world. It is so vastly diverse and perfect that I feel more like a mediator than a creator. Everything is already created! I just interpret and point out, I notice. Consistency of colors, contrasts, plant forms, juiciness of berries, delicacy of flowers.

The history of art culture throughout the world begins with ceramics. Going to the mythological beginning of humanity, it is known that the first human beings were made of clay. How then, other than to want to understand the world, man and art, one must dive into the deeper nature of clay.

I operate in Räpina, where there are many people involved in gardening. Listening to them talking with heart about plants and growing them, taking care of them, I realized that for me, my ceramic objects are like plants. I create the necessary conditions for them to occur, I take care of them in the process of ripening and drying. Moisten, dry, bake, smooth.

I also feel connected to the land as strongly as plant growers. This material, which has been in the earth’s crust for millions of years, carries its primordial breath and demands respect from the user.

Peipuscraft ceramicist Helemall Maask in the studio

How do I do that?

For the production I use the techniques of forming and gluing and turning from unwound clay sheets. To make more complex objects, you sometimes have to put all your skills into play and combine different techniques.

When I say I don’t like to draw, people are often amazed. I rarely draw on paper. Maybe just some structures, straighteners – technical drawings. On the other hand, I like to draw and paint on clay. My favorite techniques I use to decorate clay items are sgraffito and angob painting.

Blue series in sgraffito technique: with plant motifs, birds and flower-berries. Sgraffito in ceramics means that a thin layer of a contrasting clay mixture is applied to an unburned clay object. Allow to dry slightly and then engrave a pattern on the surface. The lower-second layer of clay comes out in the scrapers. Sometimes it’s nice to use a third color to emphasize a detail.
Multi-colored products, such as cups with berries and bowls, are made in the angob painting technique. Angob is a liquid clay tinted with color pigments. Quite gouache-like. With it, you can completely cover and repaint the object, draw smaller and more precise shapes and pictures.
The patterns and shapes that the painting tells the stories of the abundant warm summer, garden, forest,
a little about the mystical nature and the nature around us.

It is good to use these dishes both at home and for tea and setting meals, and on cozy evenings in the company of dear people, covering a larger party table.
Long live life!