The guest speaker for TriCity Potters’ November meeting was Vancouver Ceramist Mitra Mahmoodi. We were treated to a delightful and well-planned presentation, with a biographical slide show, followed by a demonstration of her process. Mitra had brought along several finished pieces as well as leather-hard forms to show how she makes each one.
Mitra Mahmoodi is a full-time ceramic artist based in Vancouver, whose work is informed by an investigation of her Middle Eastern and Islamic heritage and ongoing engagement with the landscape, architecture, languages, and wisdom of that part of the world.
Mitra had a career in economics until she took a pottery class in her late twenties and realized that this is what she needed to do. She earned a diploma in Ceramic Design at the University of Arts, in London UK, followed by her BFA from Emily Carr University in 2021. In 2018 she was awarded a NorthWest Ceramic Foundation scholarship to take a month-long workshop at Medalta, in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Mitra uses the pottery wheel to make functional ware, but is clearly fond of creating forms using various hand-building techniques. She used the brief time available to show us a series of steps in her process. We watched her adding coils to a form which she started from its top rim and grew it up to its base.
Clive tells us that she is lucky enough to have rented the Mount Pleasant studio of much-loved and missed potter Charmian Johnson. Her website gives details of workshops she offers there. I believe the studio is open to visitors this coming weekend.
Thank you Mitra, for your enthusiastic talk to us. Members were pleased to learn some of your techniques, understand your influences and fondle your sculptures. We’ll be watching your career and wish you much success. It was fun to bump into you in the Parker Street studios during the EastSide Culture Crawl.
TriCity Potters will not have a guest speaker in December, but visitors are always welcome to join us at Port Moody Arts Centre on the third Wednesday evening of the month. Mark January 17th 2024 on your calendar.
Best wishes for amazing success to all the clay enthusiasts who are working like mad for Holiday Sales. Do plan on checking out the vast selection of hand-made gifts for sale in PoMoArts (the Arts Centre) Winter Treasures and Blackberry Gift Shop.
Me, I bought more Georgie’s Umpqua clay from Port Coquitlam’s Clay Warehouse today so that I can be making work for soda firings in the New Year.
Beautiful work by Mitra!
Thanks for a great summary of Mitra’s presentation. You captured it all.