“Harmony”

Ivan Kanchev

Art of Creative Unity Award 2021 | 2nd Prize

The project “Harmony” presents views of the pottery and the meaning of existence, formed in a period of intense creative and research work in the area of the tangible perception of ceramics. The attention of the observer is directed to the fundamental themes of human existence , and Love is elevated as an eternal principle to achieve harmonious relations between the people, as well as to build a healthy society, where differences are not just endured, but accepted unconditionally.

The easel shapes in the project “Harmony” adhere to established parameters and are distinguished by simplicity, compactness, and roundness. With as its delicate silhouette and subtle emotional intensity they give a sense of beauty and tranquility, of harmony and balance in life. With minimal means of expression, a suggestion for originality and impermanence is achieved. The clean natural forms are enriched with finely scratched drawings, shallow relief and Braille print as a frieze, without hurting the balance of the whole.

One of the Braille texts placed on the plastic most broadly represents the motto of the project and draws in the highest sense the road to achieving unity between people and systems. It is a quote from the ancient Biblical text and it reads as follows: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13: 4-8).

The creations in the project “Harmony” are designed to be perceived not only visually, but also through touch both by sighted, and the blind. In order to provoke the formation of beauty and harmony in the imagination, they are represented by some psychophysiological features that blindness imposes on the individual. For this reason, there are established “criteria for making tactile work and arranging a tactile exhibition” , based on psychological research on tangible perception of ceramics ( see. “Tactile ceramics” 2007, Sofia; “Tactile perception of ceramics (research), 2012, Sofia).