Clay My Catalyst

Clay ~ My Catalyst, Conduit and Life Companion
 
When I look back over my life, I can see that clay was quietly present, long before I could articulate what it was, or what it would activate within me. It wasn’t a conscious career choice or a material discipline, but something more intimate; a catalyst for my self development, a conduit through which I could ‘speak’ – essentially a life companion.
 
One of my earliest memories is fossil hunting with my father. I was very young, barely able to hold the weight of the stones we carried home, yet utterly captivated by the moment of discovery. Cracking open a nondescript rock to reveal the spiral geometry of an ammonite, felt like uncovering a secret held patiently by the earth. Around the same time, I would help my father in the garden, digging into heavy clay soil as he planted trees. My hands learned the resistance and generosity of the ground, the way earth yields only when approached with effort and care. These were not creative acts in the conventional sense, but they formed a quiet apprenticeship in listening to the land.
 
Nature became a constant companion as I grew; walking through bluebell woods, often with our dogs at my side; I was taught to slow down, to notice, to commune rather than consume. These walks were not about destination, they were about attunement; light filtering through leaves, the smell of damp soil, the sound of wind moving through branches. Long before I encountered the language of wellbeing or forest bathing, my body understood that something essential was being restored in these spaces.
 
My first formal meeting with clay came at junior school, and the recognition was immediate. There was an ease and familiarity in my hands that surprised me, and this amazing ‘mud’ allowed me to mould anything that came to my playful mind. My first creations – two pairs of owls and cats, still sit on my studio window cil today – two ears missing from the trials of life, but happy reminders of that poignant meeting.
 
Clay did not feel like a new material, it felt like a continuation, and that instinctive connection guided my decision to study ceramics for my BA (Hons) at Bristol Bower Ashton Polytechnic. At that stage, I could not have articulated why clay mattered so deeply, only that it did, and somehow, everything became alright when I touched it.
 
Years later, in 2011, I trained as a crystal therapist. This marked a turning point in my understanding of materials and energy. Through that training, I became acutely aware that the minerals used in healing practices were the same minerals that form clay bodies and glazes, such as quartz, and feldspar. What I had previously experienced intuitively, now had a conceptual framework. Clay was not simply earth shaped by hand. It was a complex mineral system with energetic properties, capable of holding, transmitting and transforming energy; and what’s more, the intention of the maker. At this point, I realised I was the conduit in the energy transfer between my flesh and bones and clay.
 
In 2013, life offered me a moment of profound circularity. I was invited to become the ceramics specialist at Clifton High School, the very place where I had first encountered clay as a child in junior school. On my first day, while exploring the ceramics studio, I found a shoebox of old photographs on a shelf. On the top was an image of me as a student, standing beside my early ceramic work – serendipity in motion. Shortly afterwards, I opened a fresh bag of clay and the sensation was overwhelming. It felt like greeting an old friend after many years apart. There was no sense of picking up where I had left off- rather, it felt like coming home.
 
By 2016, I committed to ceramics as a professional practice. This decision later coincided with a deeper questioning of why I make and what my work offers beyond form and surface. These questions became central to my MFA in 2023, titled ‘Can Ceramic Vessels Become Activators for Wellbeing?’. Alongside this research, I studied forest bathing, exploring the physiological and psychological effects of immersive nature experiences. What became clear was that my practice was no longer about objects alone. It was about the relationship between body and material; between human and landscape; between inner and outer worlds.
 
My tree vessels emerged from this period of inquiry. Their origin can be traced to a series of journeys home from Bath University during my MFA. Driving at dusk, I became mesmerised by the dramatic bare tree formations silhouetted against the setting sun. Their reaching branches gesturing to rising energy, resilience, shelter and transformation. From this experience, ‘Haven’ was born – a multi-sensory installation composed of ceramic and raw clay vessels ‘unearthed’ from nature; nestled in a mound of living earth, while tree projections danced over their surfaces, woven willow reached for the sky and whispering sounds spoke to the spirit of the trees. Forest aromas were also offered in meditation bowls to activated the senses and invite harmonious balance. The intention was to create a space where viewers could reconnect with a sense of belonging and ‘biophilia’ that is often lost in contemporary life.
 
Today, my practice continues to evolve around this idea of translation and remembrance. My ‘Earth Vessels’, made on location, translate the power of the four elements, holding space for reflection and accountability within fine art installations; whereas my ‘Tree Vessels’ and ‘Landscape Vessels’ are intended for the home as rememberings for your soul. My newest vessels are my ‘Palo Santo Wood Burners’ which mimic the beauty of tree trunks, while allowing sacred wood to burn in dwelling spaces, bringing the healing quality of nature inside, to raise wellbeing.
 
Clay remains my catalyst for self-development, my conduit for wellbeing and my trusted companion. Through it, I continue to explore what it means to belong, to listen and to come home. Next time your hands touch clay, what does it whisper to you? How can it help you come home?
 
To explore more about my two worlds of ceramic art and wellbeing, visit www.sonyawilkins.com and follow my creative practice on Instagram.