ceramist
Oostberg 51
9140 Temse
Belgium
0032 472 76 32 30
tbekleift@keramist.be
www.keramist.be
Travelling through four continents in search of lost cultures led me to develop a keen interest in sculpture and ceramics and in 1981 I started an academy teaching both of these disciplines. Then in 2001 I opened my own ceramic studio in my Belgian home town of Temse.
A lot of my work uses glazes made with the mud from the River Schelde, which runs through my town. It was my way to record the pollution that had affected the river in the years after World War II. I also use ashes from different kinds of trees. I’m fascinated by the way the chemistry of the different ashes affects the color and texture of the glazes.
My inspiration comes from nature and mankind’s impact on the environment. I am an active member of a local environmental association and I want to contribute in any way I can to their work in protecting animals and plants and combating climate change. I want to express my personal concern for this planet and I do it my way… by creating figures in clay and glaze.