Bulgarian-born potter Karina Manukyan will showcase her works in a solo exhibition, “Tactile Memory: Exploration of Form,” Sept. 30 through Oct. 25 in Gallery II of the Artists Collective | Spartanburg.
An artist’s reception will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, as part of Spartanburg ArtWalk. The reception and exhibition viewing are free and open to the public. The 30 pieces in the show will be offered for purchase with prices ranging from $50 to $500.
“My initial idea for this exhibit was slightly different from the end result,” says Manukyan, who was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and moved to Spartanburg in 2015. “It started as research into historic pottery found in my home country of Bulgaria and around the region, intending to create, in a sense, a shrine of pottery. It ended up as an exploration of form and shape still rooted in the initial research.”
She continues: “Some pots follow more closely the reference images used, while others, halfway through the making, departed from the original form and took on their own life. With this exhibit, I wanted to show my appreciation for where I come from as a way to stay connected to a place that is very far from me.”
The exhibit consists of a variety of larger vessels, inspired both by functional and more decorative pieces, and an assembly of smaller vessels, some ritualistic in nature, she adds.
“I want visitors to experience and learn something new about an area they are probably not very familiar with,” Manukyan says. “I am still a relatively new potter. This has been a way to further define my style and push myself to make larger and more refined vessels. This is very true to my inspiration when I started my pottery journey and I would like to see how much I can push this style, where it meets history and my own point of view.”
She adds that she is inspired by historic pottery, mostly from the Bronze Age and the Chalcolithic in Bulgaria and the general region. “I hope the visitors find the points of inspiration interesting and engaging, and I would encourage them to read about where I come from.”
This is Manukyan’s first ceramics exhibition, having participated in several photography group shows in Bulgaria.
Manukyan’s mother, an archeologist, fostered her interest in pottery. “I grew up surrounded by replicas of ancient pottery at home. Every time we went to a history museum, I would get a lecture on all the knowledge you can get from ceramic remains. By a stroke of fate, I started getting interested in historic pottery a couple of years ago. I have always been drawn to expressing myself through visual means, and photography has been my passion for a long time. After moving to the United States, my spark for it had greatly diminished, which eventually led me to take my first pottery class. After taking a hand-building course, I knew I had found something I deeply connected with. The tactile sensation as you handle the clay while the pot emerges underneath your fingertips is a truly magical experience. Since then, I have been experimenting with different shapes and techniques in the search for my voice as a ceramic artist.”
She adds that she creates a combination of functional and decorative pieces. “I aim to create either playful or stand-out pieces, whether it’s something you put on a shelf or it is something you eat out of,” she says. “I am a firm believer that everyday objects can be art. I draw inspiration from ancient pottery and organic shapes with a more contemporary look. The main techniques I use are coil-and-pinch and slab-building.
Manukyan has a degree in European studies, an interdisciplinary major in political science and sociology with an emphasis on the European Union, and a degree in media studies. She has been a member of the Artists Collective | Spartanburg for a year and a half. “I am excited to have this opportunity of this exhibit provided to me,” she says. “I am glad there is a place in Spartanburg that provides an affordable space for artists to work and exhibit their work. It is a great community of people all working toward supporting art making in the area.”
