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In his own words, new Studio Tour participant, ceramics sculptor, Jon Gaitan provides this description of his beginning and development: “I was born and raised in Canada to proud Panamanian parents, and from a young age I have been drawn to uncovering my ancestral roots. With over a decade of experience in interior design, I have recently turned to ceramics as a way to explore form, color, dynamism, and cultural identity in a more personal way. I have always been fascinated by the beauty found in the grotesque, the imperfect, and the handmade, especially when these elements intersect with technology and fabrication methods. For me, each object is not just crafted, but layered with memory, heritage and experimentation.” As a child, Gaitan recalls a formative experience when his mother created a piece of plaster—cast in a milk carton—for him, with which he carved a sculpture of a polar bear. His interest in art and, especially interiors, continued throughout his schooling in North Toronto and Aurora and lead to his enrollment in architecture—specializing in interior design—with him achieving basic and then masters degrees at Carlton University in Toronto. He landed employment in the interior design industry in Toronto–which takes him to projects across Canada, in Hong Kong, New York, Greece and Saudi Arabia along with work in his hometown. The pieces in his present oeuvre series of ceramic sculptures are “built through coil-building, one of the oldest ceramic techniques” in which he begins with “gestures inspired by cultural memory: vessels shaped by Panamanian references, patterns echoing the vibrant mola textiles stitched by the Ngäbe-Buglé people, who are part of my heritage. And continues: “I draw from early animistic figures created by other Indigenous communities, some dating back to 700 AD, whose raw power feels timeless.” And further, he advises that his work “draws from the movement of foliage and water, where forms suggest a quiet vitality and an inherited sensitivity to the natural world.” And, as well, he is “interested in moments where organic structures become unfamiliar, swelling, shifting, and taking on an almost sentient presence. Through this lens, the grotesque emerges as generative and alive, where nature remains in a state of continual transformation.” His art work surfaces as ceramic stands, objects and vessels—some with indigenous-inspired line work–that are dried thoroughly given final glaze and detailing and then bisque fired to completion.
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He and his partner have built a seasonal home in L’Amable—just south of Bancroft—that serves as his getaway retreat and studio space for his ceramic work–and where his art will be displayed September 19 & 20 and 26 & 27. To contact him, send a message to john@minkishstudio.com (Profile writing and photo by Allan O’Marra) |
