Exhibition Reviews
Passion in Porcelain
Titania Henderson’s Artistic Odyssey
It still seems difficult to reconcile Titania Henderson’s recent exhibition’ as marking her solo début, after several judiciously chosen group shows and prize entries over the preceding years.
The ethereal, undulating pieces have a calmness about them, a discreet confidence; clarity of vision complemented by aesthetic rigour. Henderson’s crisp ares and ribbons, luminous folds and pleats, are deliberate but never predictable. It is this simplicity and refinement which is so engaging; the quiet tension between an exacting process and its serene outcome.
Born in Holland, Henderson grew up with the tradition of Delftware and developed a strong affinity for ceramic art. Certainly she has been tenacious in her pursuit of the medium, returning to formal study at various intervals and finally taking her degree as a mature-age student. It is as though this body of work has been gestating for decades, emerging as a perfectly articulated statement of Henderson’s personal journey. “Creating is a mental process, a way to develop a dialogue between life and art,” she reflects. “I am interested in peace – creating objects with a spatial experience … that have an impact on our senses.” Henderson has set herself some uncompromising technical goals in exploring the boundaries of sculptural form in French Limoges porcelain and bone china. “I particularly like the way these very fine, pure white materials determine their own language,” she affirms. “They allow me to create my vision and ideas … a constant experimentation with elements of shadow and light.” It is an amusing coincidence that Titanium dioxide (TiO2), used as a white pigment/opacifier in glazes and enamels, is also known as ‘Titania’.
“Often I will cut out paper patterns or make clay models before beginning a new form,” she explains. “The execution has to be precise from the very beginning, as there is no room for error …” Henderson hand builds with thin slabs, often carving them to enhance the appearance of delicacy, and then meticulously matches the lines along any joins. “It’s a lovely working method, as the process becomes incredibly rhythmic. Every time I change the form, whether it be slightly larger or smaller, I will research a new firing pattern,” she continues, adding with dry understatement, “Having to get used to the high failure rate has been the hardest part of the process for me.”
Henderson realises her “landscapes of the mind” through the timeless and compelling interplay between black and white. Although abstracted, the interior of a shell, a curling leaf, a cocoon anchored to a branch, and perhaps the tide lines of a riverbank can be discerned. “My minimalist direction is derived from nature – its beauty, its movement and, in particular, its survival, are all elements I work towards representing in my work,” she agrees. With such commitment to realising her artistic aspirations, or “expressing my truth” as she puts it, Henderson is quite a force of nature herself. Undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and dedicated young artists to emerge of recent times, she will be sixty-two this year.
Inga Walton
TITANIA HENDERSON 