Ralitsa Yovkova

Ceramicist

©Ralitsa Yuvkova

Destined for a life in ceramics

Ralitsa uses animal hair brushes like her grandfather and father before her
The workshop has always been in her family
She brings a more feminine style to the family tradition

“My family has over 100 years of tradition in ceramics,” says Ralitsa Yovkova. Her great grandfather, grandfather and father were all artisans, each working with ceramics and becoming a master of his time. After many experiments with various approaches, Ralitsa – the first woman in the family dedicated to the craft – found her own more feminine style of pottery. Using pastel colours and various graphic elements and compositions, she finds inspiration mainly in the beauty of nature. Her favourite objects to make are vessels. “They bring me closer to people since vessels offer someone a direct, tactile experience of ceramics while they are having their morning coffee or tea,” she says

Interview

©Ralitsa Yuvkova

©Ralitsa Yuvkova

What is your first memory of the craft?: It has always been around me. I grew up in my father's workshop watching the rotating clay on the potter’s wheel. One day, when I was a little girl, my dad asked me if I knew what the clay smelled like. Since then, I have always known the smell of the clay – it is the smell of land, nature, work and love.
How does living in the ceramics town of Troyan influence you?: It offers a lot of benefits. It's easy to find the right materials for my work and I can count on the support of other masters. Troyan has one of the biggest art schools in the country with a focus on ceramics. All the ceramics masters in my family studied there and now my twin daughters are learning the craft there.
How do you make your work stand out in such a place?: There is a lot of competition in this town, but the main focus remains on traditional Bulgarian ceramics with typical Troyan patterns. Another well established theme is colourful ceramic garden figures. So in fact I'm not in direct competition because I have my own specific signature as an artist.
Can you describe this signature?: My specific style relates to the concept of yin and yang. Every cup has natural opposition – if it is white on the inside, it has a predominantly black colour on the outside and vice versa. Small dots are also very typical of my products and distinguish my work from that of other ceramicists.

Ralitsa Yovkova is a master artisan: she began her career in 1991 and she started teaching in 2002