GRÔPK – MEANING NO MORE THAN A POT IN KASHUBIAN, A VERNACULAR LANGUAGE OF POLAND’S EASTERN POMERANIA – WAS CREATED BECAUSE OF THE ENTICEMENT AND EXCITEMENT BY THE HUMAN HAND THAT MAKES CERAMICS – A BRAND OF ARTISANAL VESSELS AND A GENTLE TRIBUTE TO THE PIECES THAT DISPLAY THEIR MAKER’S MARK. THE WOBBLY QUALITY OF A PLUMP, WONKY VASE IN CHALK-WHITE, HUMBLY DISPLAYED ON A SPINDLY SIDE TABLE. THE SWOOSH OF GLAZE – AS IF DONE HURRIEDLY – THAT STILL LOOKS FRESHLY DAUBED FROM THE BRISTLES OF THE BRUSH. THE TACTILE TEXTURE OF THE KNOBBLY SURFACE ON A COCOON-SHAPED POT, ALL SHROUDED IN BLACK EXCEPT FOR WHERE ITS INSIDE GLAZE SPLATTERED OVER. PIECES EMBEDDED WITH THEIR HISTORY. GRÔPK IS A CELEBRATION – ALBEIT A QUIET ONE – OF RAW, UNAFFECTED BEAUTY OF CERAMIC VESSELS MADE BY HAND.
A PIECE OF HANDIWORK. UNEVEN, UNASSUMING, HUMBLE. CERAMICS WITH A PERSONALITY. IMPERFECT AND IMBUED WITH A TINGE OF BONHOMIE, EACH GRÔPK AMORPHOUS VESSEL, VASE OR DECORATIVE OBJECT CAPTURES A SENSE OF A STANDSTILL – AN OFFERING FROM A LOST WORLD. IN HARMONY WITH THE PRIMORDIAL TECHNIQUE THEY ARE MADE WITH, THE PIECES EVOKE ALL THAT IS ORGANIC RATHER THAN MAN-MADE AND TELL STORIES OF NEOLITHIC CULTURES, ORGANIC MATTER AND TIMES LONG BEFORE CIVILISATION. VAGUE, BIOMORPHIC FORMS OF INSECT NESTS, BEEHIVES AND ANTHILLS NOD TOWARDS THE EARTHLY, WHEREAS SURREALLY MELTED SILHOUETTES OF CORALS, SEASHELLS AND FOSSILS ALLUDE TO THE EARLIEST OF LIFE IN THE SEA.
GRÔPK CERAMICS ARE MINIMAL BUT HAVE NEITHER CALCULATED SEVERITY NOR DESIGNER CONSTRAINT, ONLY THE GENTLE PLEASURE AND CLARITY THAT COMES FROM PLAINNESS. MEDIATING ASCETIC MINIMALISM WITH SENSUALITY AND SOFTNESS, THE PIECES ARE MADE TO FEEL INTUITIVE – BE HELD IN HAND, TOUCHED, SLOWLY DISCOVERED. TIMELESS IN THEIR DESIGN, GRÔPK CERAMICS ARE MADE FROM EARTH, SUN AND FIRE AND HAND-CRAFTED WITH UTMOST RESPECT TO THESE ELEMENTS. SHROUDED IN SUBTLE HUES OF NEUTRAL, EARTHY AND MUTED SHADES OF RED, OCHRE, BLACK, WHITE OR IVORY, THE CERAMICS ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLIMENT
THE COLOUR PALETTE OF THEIR RAW NATURAL CLAYS. SOBERLY GLAZED, THE PIECES ARE STRIPPED OF UNNECESSARY EMBELLISHMENTS, QUIETLY INVITING TO APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THEIR RAW, UNAFFECTED DESIGN.
