Caldera

About Caldera

This contemporary sculptural vessel was handmade by Steven Heinemann.

Celebrated as a superb artist, Steven Heinemann has, among other accolades, attained Canada’s highest recognition of achievement in contemporary craft—the prestigious Saidye Bronfman Award. The Canadian artist’s oeuvre has been decades in the making and is singularly distinctive. Heinemann is known for exploring a unique visual language whose form and palette are inspired by nature. This tabletop sculptural ceramic vessel is hand-built from clay—its exterior a matte white and concave interior a deep shiny red. Small perforations in the clay—the air pockets revealed in the casting process add visible texture, a signature of Heinemann’s work. Its name, ‘Caldera’ is a term used to describe the volcanic mouth of a crater that has collapsed following a major eruption.

“Generally, my work often falls into 2 streams that stem from either looking down (at the earth or the land) or up (the daytime or nighttime sky). As expected, clay can readily evoke its earthly nature, but no less so the ethereal and insubstantial.” Steven Heinemann

“His ceramics—sometimes intimate, other times monumental—operate on a metaphorical level, serving as touchstones at once connecting and un-demining our interaction with plants, animals, and ancient spirits.” Dr. Rachel Gotlieb, curator and historian

Steven Heinemann earned an MFA from Alfred University, NY, in 1983 and has taught in Canada and the US. Heinemann has exhibited continuously since his first solo exhibition at the Ontario Crafts Council in 1982. His work is held in museums the world over. Heinemann has received many national and international awards.