London-based artist Stella Arion, specialising in sculpture and ceramics, delves into the vulnerability of clay as a medium for self-exploration and self-identification. Her artistic aspirations delve into the human condition, examining the interplay of traumas, transformations, ties, and disjunctions with nature and our own identities. Arion's creations defy traditional ceramic norms, embodying her unrestrained and dynamic methodology in manipulating clay.
Integral to Stella Arion's artistic practice is the commitment to pushing the boundaries of material exploration. Delving into a profound interaction with diverse clays, she strives to craft intricately textured surfaces. The artist achieves this dynamism by employing both industrial and volcanic glazes, harmonising them with geological forms. The amalgamation of porcelain, black and red stonewares showcases her experimental approach. She explores the transformative potential of tin, scrutinising its reaction to heat as it undergoes shifts and deformations. Harnessing the influence of high firing temperatures, she capitalises on the metamorphic effects they impart on the final piece. Employing a spectrum of black and volcanic glazes on black stoneware, allows for subtle light refractions to accentuate the contours of each artwork. It draws out the textures and subtleties of the surface.
She sculpturally explores the metaphor of the crack, which is very present in her works, which bear a striking resemblance to nature – mirroring cracked, sun-drenched riverbeds and volcanic stones. Cracks symbolise the breakdown of systems, processes, individuals, and countries, simultaneously serving as spaces for potential, growth, and transformation.