Aesthetics of chaos - Exploring creative identity through material and colour experiments with Finnish clay

Aesthetics of Chaos is a study on exploring creative identity, using Finnish clay as its main medium. The starting point of this research work is author’s critical self-reflection on her relationship with colour, and an unexpected failure experience with Finnish clay. The study discusses the process of pushing through the internalised norms of working with clay, recognising self-established boundaries on creative identity; and it analyses colours’ impact on different levels throughout the project. Through a series of material and colour experiments with Finnish clay and altering the usual production methods of ceramic-making, this research work explores a wider spectrum of this material’s character and potential; while it also challenges the maker to critically reflect both on her own creative identity, and the concepts such as normal/weird, perfection, and failure, among others. The name Aesthetics of Chaos refers to the chaotic state of conducting a personally challenging research that deliberately forces the author to go out of the comfort zone and expand tolerances; and the molten, unruly, unapologetically free high-fired end results of the Finnish clay. This research work utilises various methods from practice-based design research and experimental material research fields. Making, documenting and reflecting on making itself goes hand in hand to gain a better understanding on intuitive reflexes of the maker, and acts an important source of insight for the research. Apart from making, the literature review is also utilised as an integral part of the process. It provides a theoretical structure for understanding, analysing and contextualising some of the concepts involved with and aroused from the making, such as one’s own creative identity, strong emotional influence and repulsion from certain colours, doubts, material agency and control. The research has a critical perspective on maker’s own pre-set standards and perceptions, and by engaging in a dialogue with the material instead of solely imposing maker’s authority onto the material and making itself, it suggests a ground for pushing the boundaries and questioning norms. The research also acknowledges colour’s influence and impact, and on the scope of this research, how colour acts as an agent in exploring one’s own creative identity