Namibian-born ceramic artist Ronél Koen specialises in Nerikomi-inspired, functional art using clay as her medium of choice. Her work is influenced and driven by her love of landscape and the delicate balance between texture and form.
She finds the intricate layering of clay into patterns used in the ancient Japanese art of Nerikomi the perfect way to explore these narratives. By using the layering of Nerikomi techniques, she’s able the draw awareness to the surface beneath the clay by drawing the eye into the surface. These processes become an abstract exploration into ‘painting’ with clay.
Her work also questions the fine line between utilitarianism and objects of art, and she creates work that draws on our sense of nostalgia, loss, memory and longing.
Apart from having a degree in Fine Arts and Applied Arts, Ronél has also had a long creative career in the design and advertising industry as an art director.