The threat the new Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway posed to the kilns of acclaimed potter Mirek Smíšek intrigued Kāpiti artist Elisabeth Vullings so much that she felt the campaign to relocate and restore them would make a great artistic project.
‘In 2018 I read an article in the local paper about the possible relocation or even demolition of Mirek Smíšek’s beehive pottery kilns in Te Horo,’ she says.
‘I was intrigued by the article and the image of the beautiful brick beehive kilns and I decided to embark on a project, to follow the story.’
Elisabeth went on to document the kilns’ successful relocation over a five-year period, from the planning stages through to the opening of the new site in 2023, The Kilns at Te Horo.
The culmination of that work is being celebrated in the exhibition, The Kilns Project, which has opened at Toi MAHARA.
‘It has taken passion, perseverance and a huge amount of skill and effort from many different people to save these kilns,’ she says. ‘Mirek’s kilns were his passion—my exhibition seeks to honour this.’
Not only was there history in the making for a subject, but Elisabeth’s degree in interior architecture and her love for small architectural structures were added incentives to be involved.
‘Initially I documented the relocation through photography, drawings and rubbings. I focused on several key factors: fragmentation, imprints and preservation.
‘Some of the photographs were used to direct a series of textured abstract paintings while the smaller site rubbings led into a series or larger 3 x 3 metre full-scale rubbings of the exterior of the kilns themselves.’
Elisabeth had regarded herself primarily as a painter—she has been four times short-listed for the prestigious Parkin Drawing Prize.
‘I quickly realised however, that I could not do this project justice without also learning how the pottery kilns worked and by gaining a deeper understanding of the ceramics process.
‘So I took up pottery—and the resulting pieces have become an integral part of the final show.
‘I immersed myself in the pottery world in 2021 and began taking classes with local Ōtaki potter Jennifer Turnbull. She had an amazing way of teaching practical skills while encouraging me to push the boundaries using experimental methods.’
Elisabeth followed this up by taking regular classes at the Ōtaki Pottery Club and has since become a member.
‘I still feel I have plenty to learn but I love the process so much it has now become an important part of my art practice,’ she says.
Toi MAHARA Director Janet Bayly describes Elisabeth Vullings’ exhibition as a richly inventive project.
‘Her work is thoughtful, imaginative and beautiful and we are very pleased to be showing it now that the Kilns at Te Horo are open to the public,’ she says.
Toi MAHARA has a long history of involvement with Mirek Smíšek. The Gallery curated his retrospective exhibition 60 Years, 60 Pots in 2009 which drew record visitor numbers to the gallery followed by a successful tour to 14 venues around New Zealand.
In 2021 Toi MAHARA gifted all of its Smíšek exhibition furniture to The Mirek Smíšek Arts Trust for its planned exhibition space.
The Kilns Project is showing at Toi MAHARA until 28 April, 2024.