Derek Kasper

I am a ceramic artist based in Victoria focused on larger scale ceramic work characterized by expressive textures and unique glazing effects. Having retired from a career in building and facility operations several years ago I now have much more time to devote to my mostly self-taught ceramic work. So far I adore focusing on my artwork and keeping physically active. I am inspired by nature and the rhythmic nature of water and waves, and usually incorporate their textures into the surface of my work, while also noting the similarities to waving fields of grasses and crops from my long-ago prairie background.

Statement

I have to smile when I consider this work, created while contemplating retirement and the precarious nature of life. A perilous climb up the tricky staircase of time, accumulating some gold, hopefully enough to survive without working, and then a balancing act of health and reduced abilities, while balancing on the slippery edge of existence. Some of my work, such as the piece for this show are meant to provide comments on aging and a focus on not wasting rapidly passing time!  I admit that I sometimes get carried away with symbols and embedded meanings, and I can seldom keep my puckish sense of humour under control. The layers of metaphor are practically infinite.