The Bell Vases

A vase deformed by the weight of a stone; craftsmanship and nature meet in an object without artifice where the materials and the craftsman’s gesture are equally honest. The project shows the beauty of seemingly unrefined objects. The stones and branches are singular objects that somehow refer us to a landscape. An allegory of decoration with natural themes, literally integrating stones and branches in the plastic phase of the production of the piece.

Martín Azúa continues exploring the relationship between ceramics and nature. The project began in 1999, when for the first time he left porous ceramic vases in the River Urederra in Navarra in order to collect “the natural stain”. Lichens and small plants settled on the vase showing that nature is capable of representing itself.

Exibitions: Manantial Galería H2O, Barcelona, 2016 / Transgresiones. Cerámica contemporánea del Museu del Disseny, Barcelona 2022.

The Vase with stone an Branches is part of the collection of the Barcelona Design Museum.