Alvin Sahayanathan

BD2032

This project explores the fundamentals of handbuilding in ceramics through pinching, coiling, slab construction, and surface decoration. I experimented with clay’s structural behavior and surface qualities, learning how to control thickness, join forms, and respond to cracking or collapse. Texture explorations included taking impressions from natural and manmade surfaces like bark and bricks, helping me understand clay’s plasticity. Surface decoration techniques like sgraffito, resist, and carving were tested using colored slips and Art Deco-inspired patterns. These studies helped build a material understanding of clay while developing a personal visual language rooted in both form and surface.