Can you start by introducing yourself and sharing an overview of your artistic practice?
My name is Isabel Greenberg. I am an illustrator and writer, and I work across a variety of mediums, primarily graphic novels, but also textiles, animation and ceramics.
What led you to explore ceramics? Was there a specific moment or inspiration that sparked your interest in working with clay?
I took a couple of evening classes, and enjoyed the feeling of making work for myself, being playful and not having any preconceptions about the material. However, what made me begin to see it as a primary part of my practise was discovering slipware and more specifically sgraffito. It felt like a joyful fit for my image making, and I loved the way that the tradition of slipware itself as a story telling medium seemed to work with my own ideas.
Did you receive formal training in ceramics, or did you develop your skills independently?
“I attended a number of evening classes, and beyond that have no training. I am more interested in the surface and the clay as a place to draw and carve and image make, rather than the process or material itself.”
In what ways do your two-dimensional works, like drawings, influence your three-dimensional creations, and vice versa?
“My two dimensional drawing work certainly hugely influences my ceramics. However, I love the way that materials and mediums can force change on your aesthetic. I began to love ceramics when I stopped trying to replicate my images on a new surface, but use the material to create a different kind of drawing.”
Where do you typically find inspiration for your art? Are there particular themes or sources that resonate with you?
“Research forms a central part of the early stages of my process. My first two graphic novels took inspiration from folktales and myths, my fourth Arthurian legends and my third was a re-imagining of the Brontë Juvenillia. All of which required me to immerse myself in the topic to find the direction and focus I was interested in. For the body of work I have created for County Hall, I have been looking at superstitions and folklore surrounding pregnancy and motherhood. I’ve also been very interested by the visual language of traditional slipware itself.”
Can you walk us through your creative process, from concept to completion?
“The story always comes first for me, and once I understand what I am trying to say, I will move onto a sketching phase. What I love about working in ceramics is that I have been deliberately looser at the sketching point. I’ll often draw no more than the shape of the slab and a couple of stick figures or lines so I know how big the image will be and its rough composition, and then work into the clay in quite a spontaneous way.”
Where do you create your work? Could you share a bit about your studio or workspace?
“When working on my graphic novels, I will often go to a library or a cafe for the writing phase, then once I begin drawing I would work at my desk in my studio which is a small box room at home. As I have a young child, I prefer working at home so I can work in spare moments.”
How would you describe the pieces you’ll be exhibiting at County Hall Pottery Gallery? What do you hope viewers take away from them?
“The collection of work is entitled ‘The Midwife and The Witch. It is a mostly wall mounted slabs, painted in slip and scraped into using sgraffito. There are also a number of small slipware cradles, which was a traditional fertility gift to newlyweds.”
Do you have preferred techniques or materials you work with in ceramics? What draws you to these approaches?
“I have been particularly drawn to Slipware techniques including sgraffito and trailing. I am both fascinated by the traditions of English Slipware and also the techniques themselves allow me to use the clay to draw, in a way that doesn’t feel like surface decoration.”
What are you currently working on? Are there any upcoming projects or exhibitions we should look forward to?
“I’m currently working on a new graphic novel that explores more themes surrounding pregnancy and superstition. A film of my second book The One Hundred Nights of Hero, will also be coming out in 2025!”