Nanopublication — Daring Verticality and Material Risk in Ceramic Construction

Context

Ceramic imposes severe constraints on vertical construction. Clay's weight, shrinkage during drying, and thermal stress during firing all conspire against tall, thin forms. The piece measures 40cm in height but only 16cm at the base - a precarious ratio that required careful construction and risk acceptance.

I built the form with thin walls to maintain lightness while achieving height, knowing that each angular protrusion - the ears, the tail element rising vertically, the geometric projections - increased the probability of structural failure during firing. This technical risk was not arbitrary but intentional: the formal precariousness mirrors the cats' physical behavior throughout Istanbul, where they perch on narrow ledges, balance on railings, and navigate vertical surfaces with apparent ease.

The surface treatment uses wax patina with pigments over terracotta, creating warmth and depth that evokes Istanbul's aged stone and weathered brick. This finishing technique, learned in Isis Gondoin [5]'s workshop at Profils et Reliefs, allows subtle color variation across the geometric facets, emphasizing the play between light and shadow on angular surfaces.

The piece was created in 2023 and is part of the "Nature [6] in the City" collection, which documents observations of urban wildlife where the boundary between natural and built environments becomes productively ambiguous.