Exhibits

Artist Statement

One of my greatest joys is to travel. I love the adventure of discovering unfamiliar places and different ways of life. But most of all I am intrigued by the local people that live in foreign lands, in particular’ the lives women lead there. I imagine what brings them happiness and the pain they may face. And how their lives differ from my own. Walking through the streets of Havana I notice the women moving with such ease and poise, sensual, like a dancer. Their natural sense of style hides poverty, the pride on their faces hides struggles. Looking closer however I can see that those very attributes are so essential to them, they help them carry on. On the other side of the world, women in Hanoi, riding their scooters through chaotic streets juxtaposes with their quiet and contained beauty. Yet I can see the resilience and determination on their gentle faces. On another continent, in Malawi and Zanzibar, never before I have experienced such cheerful and friendly smiles. These faces tell a story of hardships and struggles; however, their grace and strength are present in their heartwarming smile and charm.
To me meeting women from around the world are encounters that will forever stay with me and even shape me. As Michael Ondaatje says so well;
“Everything is biographical, Lucian Freud says. What we make, why it is made, how we draw a dog, who it is we are drawn to, why we cannot forget.”
Everything is collage, even genetics. There is the hidden presence of others in us, even those we have known briefly. We contain them for the rest of our lives, at every border we cross.”
In the exhibits I use the maiolica technique, as well as some stoneware pieces. Maiolica is very dear to my heart. I love the bold and vibrant colours you can achieve. It is a technique rich in culture and history. Maiolica is a term for white tin glaze on earthenware clay, decorated with coloured stains. It has its roots in the medieval Islamic world. Maiolica is believed to have come through the port of Mallorca, hence the name, to Spain and Italy and later to the rest of Europe
I hope you enjoy the exhibit as much as I did creating it. – Anke Lex

Pottery was not my first earthy pursued. It is a love that came later in life. As a young woman, I choose the field of horticulture. I think fondly of the years as young horticulture apprentice. Spending time in the fields amplified my love for nature. I studied the textures, colours, shapes and even designs, as natures designs are always perfect. I’m drawn to the calm that overtakes me when I am in nature.
Over the past four years I have been bemused by flower vases creations. Beautiful shaped vessels, often representing the shape of the female body, containing all types of flowers, fascinated by their sensual shapes and colours.
Most of my flower creations have been mounted on salvaged boards that come out of old houses as the old growth forest wood creates a sense of wonder. In the exhibit I use the maiolica technique. Maiolica is very dear to my heart. I cherish the bold and vibrant colours you can achieve, and just like the salvaged boards, a sense of mystery and depth that connects us to a time and people before us.
Maiolica is a technique rich in culture and history. It is a term for white tin glaze on earthenware clay, decorated with coloured stains. It has its roots in the medieval Islamic world. Maiolica is believed to have come through the port of Mallorca, hence the name, to Spain and Italy and later to the rest of Europe
I hope you enjoy the exhibit as much as I did creating it.

• Anke Lex

In the spring of 2011 I went see the Betty Wooodman exhibit at the Gardiner Museum. This extraordinary and joyous exhibit spoke to me from heart and refueled my passion for maiolica.  It took  two years to find the time to work on this strong calling. In January 2013 I set out to work on “Sensual Summer” and spring was with me during the long winter month. Researching and studying the sensual shapes of nature.  Grateful for the Internet and trusted masters like Matisse, Hundertwasser and the great Betty Woodman, providing me with answers when ever I needed them. 

“Everything is biographical, Lucian Freud says. What we make, why it is made, how we draw a dog, who it is we are drawn to, why we cannot forget. Everything is collage, even genetics. There is the hidden presence of others in us, even those we have known briefly. We contain them for the rest of our lives, at every border we cross.” 
― Michael Ondaatje