Clara Toksvig
Formation Gallery
11 Oct 2024 – 16 Nov 2024
Formation Gallery is pleased to present Clara Toksvig's first solo exhibition, (re)production, where ceramic reinterpretations of the building's ornamentation make the bricks sprout and columns break the kiln's limitations. Through the exploration of firings and traditional, complex techniques, the reproductive labor of craftsmanship is made visible, highlighting unique decorations that usually fade into the background of large architectural works.
An insistence on a universal connection to the Earth's cyclical development is a constant theme in Toksvig's practice, and in this exhibition, it begins in the Danish underground. Here lies the geological potential for all the bricks surrounding us—clay. Bricks, produced from raw materials from the underground, have been used since the 12th century, molded by hand and later fired in brickworks. The result of this process is now part of our urban landscape and everyday life. Nature is thus not just an external landscape but a source of raw materials that shape human existence. So, when we talk about humanity's exploitation of nature and how we can return to an original nature—what does that actually look like, and is it even possible?
Clay, nature, is an inherent essential material that shapes our society and its structures. The bricks that form walls separate outside from inside, society from home. Here, space is created for invisible, often feminine caregiving work. Parallels are drawn to the relationship between the monumentality of architectural construction and the laborious, invisible reproduction of ornaments, decorations, and details in craftsmanship. The brick as a symbol of power is reinterpreted by Toksvig with manually shaped leaves that twist, glazes that flow, and small sprouts that hopefully crawl out of the forms.
The motifs are symbolic and recognizable, often originating from nature and its plants. With the inclusion of elements such as French lilies and egg-and-dart, Toksvig continues her exploration of the history of symbolism and its context in contemporary times. Abstractions of these recognizable symbols are presented with traditional techniques, making their uniqueness stand out. As with salt firing, where the kiln is fed with wood through many hours of labor, the ash and soda from the wood create ceramic glazes that develop independently, beyond the artist's control. A plaster mold used for repeated casting of bricks now yields a flower, which is hand-shaped and reattached with its imprint. Coil technique is used to produce a 2-meter-high column, coil by coil, later stacked, referencing the modular structure of bricks, as well as Greek columns. Fingerprints from the modeling process are visible in the works, paying tribute to the slow, manual labor. At a time when most houses are designed on computers, Toksvig's exhibition serves as a welcome reminder of the human and unique aspects of craftsmanship - of reproductive and life-giving work.
Clara Toksvig (b. 1995) is a Danish sculptor who primarily works with clay. She lives and works in Copenhagen. She graduated from the Royal Danish Academy, Institute of Craft - Glass and Ceramics (2021). Toksvig has previously exhibited at the Bornholm Art Museum (DK), CLAY Museum of Ceramic Art (DK), and Officinet (DK).
The exhibition is supported by the Beckett Foundation, Grosserer L.F. Foghts Fond, The Danish Arts Foundation, and Poul Johansen Fonden.
