{"id":2253,"date":"2018-07-13T18:24:58","date_gmt":"2018-07-13T15:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/?p=2253"},"modified":"2018-12-12T11:26:42","modified_gmt":"2018-12-12T09:26:42","slug":"agnes-liiv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/agnes-liiv\/","title":{"rendered":"Labora\u2019s Partners: Sharing Impressions with Agnes Liiv"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/h6>\n
EA Johnson is in town, meeting with\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Labora\u2019s makers.\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n
You can see what else he has been up to at\u00a0flatfish.ee<\/a>.<\/em><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Enjoy his interview with Agnes Liiv about her ceramics and her Kalamaja garden which inspires her.<\/em><\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\n

Agnes explains Estonia\u2019s burdock and nettles:<\/p>\n

Looking back to my grandmother\u2019s garden, I remember how much I had to fight, scythe in one hand, and whetstone in the other, so these two plants wouldn\u2019t conquer the whole area.<\/em><\/p>\n

Why do they come near humans so aggressively and with such great determination? Do they have something to say? Could it be that we actually need them? Maybe they can even help us? We should take a deeper look at the amazing healing properties these plants have. Even if these days we don\u2019t need to uproot them to cure arthritis, hepatitis, liver problems and more, they might still remind us of the power of nature. The solutions to our hardest problems could be right nearby \u2013 we need only open our eyes and ears.<\/em><\/p>\n

For me, these two plants perfectly describe Estonians, a combination of grit and power. As we moved from our villages and farms to become the urban creatures we are now, nettles and burdock followed us, carrying with them limitless power and the energy to move asphalt and break through even the strongest concrete. They adapt to the very toughest conditions.<\/em><\/p>\n

These are the reasons why my ceramics are inspired by these two plants.<\/em><\/p>\n

Every spring, I pick the first fresh leaves from my home garden in Kalamaja and then press them into clay, so that their might \u2013 and my contact with nature \u2013 will be the most direct. I like it when simplicity is startling. You will find imprints of burdock and nettles in all my jewelry and dishes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While I won\u2019t tell you how to find Agnes\u2019 garden, I can tell you how to get to Kalamaja from Labora\u2019s Old Town workshops. First, look for the giant hole knocked through Tallinn\u2019s mighty walls at Suurt\u00fcki in the 19th<\/sup>\u00a0century to make way for horse-drawn carts and carriages and then head in the Estonian direction known as\u00a0loe\u00a0<\/em>(north west) for a couple of blocks past the park and across the tram tracks until you end up in the lovely residential neighbourhood known as Kalamaja.<\/p>\n

When\u00a0Lonely Planet<\/em>\u00a0chose Tallinn as 2018\u2019s best value travel destination, they even went so far as to name check Kalamaja \u2013 or Fish House \u2013 for two reasons: its lovely wooden houses which make it feel like a small, self-contained Estonian fishing village plus the fact that it is home to many of Tallinn\u2019s creatives. Not only has Agnes called Kalamaja home for much longer than Tallinn\u2019s tourism office has been marketing the neighbourhood as\u00a0trendy and bohemian<\/em>, she has been inspiring Kalamaja\u2019s next generation of creatives for years through\u00a0Maru Karu<\/u><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 her craft school for kids.<\/p>\n

Although Agnes\u2019 last name means \u201csand\u201d when translated into English, she chooses to work in clay. Her ceramic plates and bowls are in lovely shapes reminiscent of leaves. When I first ran across them during Kalamaja Days, they reminded me of fossils \u2013 like those million-year-old fish bones or plants stems preserved in clay and turned to stone for all eternity. As it happens, while I was working on this piece with Agnes, the BBC ran a humorous story called \u201cHow can I become a fossil?\u201d which opened with the startling fact that only 1\/10th<\/sup>\u00a0of 1% of all species that have ever lived become fossils. Through her starkly beautiful jewelry and ceramics, Agnes has been busy building Kalamaja\u2019s future fossil record. She is making sure that Estonia\u2019s nettles and burdock will beat the odds and last forever.<\/p>\n

So, if you happen to make it to Kalamaja this spring on your\u00a0Lonely Planet<\/em>\u00a0world tour, then make sure you search for our ubiquitous burdock and nettle. Somehow, I get the feeling that they\u2019ll still be around long after we\u2019re all gone \u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So, what do you like most about living in Kalamaja? And how has life in Kalamaja changed since you first moved here?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When it comes to Kalamaja, I like the community vibe \u2013 everyone knows each other and says \u201chello\u201d and even exchanges a few words more. I\u2019ve known Kalamaja since back when this district was quite rural \u2013 there was much more wasteland back then. You could also feel its painful-beautiful aura, watch the wax and wane of its old wooden houses, smell the genuine scent of oil, listen to the clatter from the surrounding railroads, and hear stories of its wild coast going back in time. It was so easy to imagine the old, rumbling Kalamaja. Even when I read about how things were back in medieval times, the old fishing village of Kalamaja was still there right there in front of my eyes because of its many crumbling buildings, sparking different thoughts and images which would flash through my head.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Then suddenly everything changed. The last two years have transformed this place into something completely different. Our green areas are disappearing. And yet soon all our huge industrial buildings will be showing off their rediscovered beauty and providing new opportunities for all of Estonia \u2013 just like they did back when they were first built. Cultural opportunities are developing at an insane speed as the population is constantly growing while the neighborhood has even become an attraction for tourists. But this is exactly why I feel like I\u2019m rooted here \u2013 I\u2019ve been right in the middle of all these growing pains. This place holds memories that are dear to me. I watched my son grow up here. I remember how he saw his first trees and the movement of their leaves from his baby carriage in our old, wild park. Those trees are still the same.<\/p>\n

What kind of art do you teach Kalamaja\u2019s kids? And are you also teaching them to work in clay?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, children\u2019s art is something more than art. With children, you have to aim higher. You have to find the real thing in life and everything living. And you have to think on the same wavelength as them. Only then can you direct them towards art. Or maybe, I like this particular thought process so much myself, that I can make them like it. Real thoughts, stories, and personal experiences make us feel the same way an artist feels when she is making her art. In my opinion, you can\u2019t teach children art, if you don\u2019t teach them how to feel this feeling.<\/p>\n

You asked me if I teach them how to work with clay. Yes, I do, alongside with other classical art styles. We also develop our own styles. The main purpose is to make everything inside us move.<\/p>\n

Beyond burdock and nettle, have you ever thought of adding anything else to Kalamaja\u2019s future fossil record? And if so, what \u2013 and why?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The children and I made our very own\u00a0herbarium<\/em>\u00a0and it\u2019s permanently fixed on our studio\u2019s wall. We\u2019ve included plants from our own Kalamaja gardens. We\u2019ve also learned about different bog plants and\u00a0\u201c<\/em>fossilised\u201d them in clay as well. We\u2019ve done the same with forest and coastal plants. I\u2019ve integrated my art teaching process with nature so closely, because it has always been a part of me since I was little. My first and most powerful scents, voices, noises, memories \u2013 all come from nature.<\/p>\n

I also especially like everything in miniature and so we\u2019ve worked on a lot of tiny ceramics. At this moment, I\u2019m designing and creating a set of doll dishes to be shown off in Kalamaja homes. This set is not meant to be stored away in a toy box \u2013 instead it will add a cosy feeling to every home. The dishes will let you \u201cplay home\u201d alongside all your \u201cadult\u201d dishes \u2013 and help warm everyone\u2019s hearts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Photos by\u00a0Agnes Liiv<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EA Johnson is in town, meeting with\u00a0\u00a0Labora\u2019s makers.\u00a0 You can see what else he has been up to at\u00a0flatfish.ee.   Enjoy his interview with Agnes Liiv about her ceramics and her Kalamaja garden which inspires her.   Agnes explains Estonia\u2019s burdock and nettles: Looking back to my grandmother\u2019s garden, I remember how much I had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/h6>
EA Johnson is in town, meeting with\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Labora\u2019s partners.<\/em><\/h6>
Enjoy his interview with Agnes Liiv about her ceramics and her Kalamaja garden which inspires her.<\/em><\/h6>

\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\u00a0<\/div><\/div>

Agnes explains Estonia\u2019s burdock and nettles:<\/p>

Looking back to my grandmother\u2019s garden, I remember how much I had to fight, scythe in one hand, and whetstone in the other, so these two plants wouldn\u2019t conquer the whole area.<\/em><\/p>

Why do they come near humans so aggressively and with such great determination? Do they have something to say? Could it be that we actually need them? Maybe they can even help us? We should take a deeper look at the amazing healing properties these plants have. Even if these days we don\u2019t need to uproot them to cure arthritis, hepatitis, liver problems and more, they might still remind us of the power of nature. The solutions to our hardest problems could be right nearby \u2013 we need only open our eyes and ears.<\/em><\/p>

For me, these two plants perfectly describe Estonians, a combination of grit and power. As we moved from our villages and farms to become the urban creatures we are now, nettles and burdock followed us, carrying with them limitless power and the energy to move asphalt and break through even the strongest concrete. They adapt to the very toughest conditions.<\/em><\/p>

These are the reasons why my ceramics are inspired by these two plants.<\/em><\/p>

Every spring, I pick the first fresh leaves from my home garden in Kalamaja and then press them into clay, so that their might \u2013 and my contact with nature \u2013 will be the most direct. I like it when simplicity is startling. You will find imprints of burdock and nettles in all my jewelry and dishes.<\/em><\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

While I won\u2019t tell you how to find Agnes\u2019 garden, I can tell you how to get to Kalamaja from Labora\u2019s Old Town workshops. First, look for the giant hole knocked through Tallinn\u2019s mighty walls at Suurt\u00fcki in the 19th<\/sup>\u00a0century to make way for horse-drawn carts and carriages and then head in the Estonian direction known as\u00a0loe\u00a0<\/em>(north west) for a couple of blocks past the park and across the tram tracks until you end up in the lovely residential neighbourhood known as Kalamaja.<\/p>

When\u00a0Lonely Planet<\/em>\u00a0chose Tallinn as 2018\u2019s best value travel destination, they even went so far as to name check Kalamaja \u2013 or Fish House \u2013 for two reasons: its lovely wooden houses which make it feel like a small, self-contained Estonian fishing village plus the fact that it is home to many of Tallinn\u2019s creatives. Not only has Agnes called Kalamaja home for much longer than Tallinn\u2019s tourism office has been marketing the neighbourhood as\u00a0trendy and bohemian<\/em>, she has been inspiring Kalamaja\u2019s next generation of creatives for years through\u00a0Maru Karu<\/u><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 her craft school for kids.<\/p>

Although Agnes\u2019 last name means \u201csand\u201d when translated into English, she chooses to work in clay. Her ceramic plates and bowls are in lovely shapes reminiscent of leaves. When I first ran across them during Kalamaja Days, they reminded me of fossils \u2013 like those million-year-old fish bones or plants stems preserved in clay and turned to stone for all eternity. As it happens, while I was working on this piece with Agnes, the BBC ran a humorous story called \u201cHow can I become a fossil?\u201d which opened with the startling fact that only 1\/10th<\/sup>\u00a0of 1% of all species that have ever lived become fossils. Through her starkly beautiful jewelry and ceramics, Agnes has been busy building Kalamaja\u2019s future fossil record. She is making sure that Estonia\u2019s nettles and burdock will beat the odds and last forever.<\/p>

So, if you happen to make it to Kalamaja this spring on your\u00a0Lonely Planet<\/em>\u00a0world tour, then make sure you search for our ubiquitous burdock and nettle. Somehow, I get the feeling that they\u2019ll still be around long after we\u2019re all gone \u2026<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>

So, what do you like most about living in Kalamaja? And how has life in Kalamaja changed since you first moved here?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

When it comes to Kalamaja, I like the community vibe \u2013 everyone knows each other and says \u201chello\u201d and even exchanges a few words more. I\u2019ve known Kalamaja since back when this district was quite rural \u2013 there was much more wasteland back then. You could also feel its painful-beautiful aura, watch the wax and wane of its old wooden houses, smell the genuine scent of oil, listen to the clatter from the surrounding railroads, and hear stories of its wild coast going back in time. It was so easy to imagine the old, rumbling Kalamaja. Even when I read about how things were back in medieval times, the old fishing village of Kalamaja was still there right there in front of my eyes because of its many crumbling buildings, sparking different thoughts and images which would flash through my head.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a>Then suddenly everything changed. The last two years have transformed this place into something completely different. Our green areas are disappearing. And yet soon all our huge industrial buildings will be showing off their rediscovered beauty and providing new opportunities for all of Estonia \u2013 just like they did back when they were first built. Cultural opportunities are developing at an insane speed as the population is constantly growing while the neighborhood has even become an attraction for tourists. But this is exactly why I feel like I\u2019m rooted here \u2013 I\u2019ve been right in the middle of all these growing pains. This place holds memories that are dear to me. I watched my son grow up here. I remember how he saw his first trees and the movement of their leaves from his baby carriage in our old, wild park. Those trees are still the same.<\/p>

What kind of art do you teach Kalamaja\u2019s kids? And are you also teaching them to work in clay?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

For me, children\u2019s art is something more than art. With children, you have to aim higher. You have to find the real thing in life and everything living. And you have to think on the same wavelength as them. Only then can you direct them towards art. Or maybe, I like this particular thought process so much myself, that I can make them like it. Real thoughts, stories, and personal experiences make us feel the same way an artist feels when she is making her art. In my opinion, you can\u2019t teach children art, if you don\u2019t teach them how to feel this feeling.<\/p>

You asked me if I teach them how to work with clay. Yes, I do, alongside with other classical art styles. We also develop our own styles. The main purpose is to make everything inside us move.<\/p>

Beyond burdock and nettle, have you ever thought of adding anything else to Kalamaja\u2019s future fossil record? And if so, what \u2013 and why?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

The children and I made our very own\u00a0herbarium<\/em>\u00a0and it\u2019s permanently fixed on our studio\u2019s wall. We\u2019ve included plants from our own Kalamaja gardens. We\u2019ve also learned about different bog plants and\u00a0\u201c<\/em>fossilised\u201d them in clay as well. We\u2019ve done the same with forest and coastal plants. I\u2019ve integrated my art teaching process with nature so closely, because it has always been a part of me since I was little. My first and most powerful scents, voices, noises, memories \u2013 all come from nature.<\/p>

I also especially like everything in miniature and so we\u2019ve worked on a lot of tiny ceramics. At this moment, I\u2019m designing and creating a set of doll dishes to be shown off in Kalamaja homes. This set is not meant to be stored away in a toy box \u2013 instead it will add a cosy feeling to every home. The dishes will let you \u201cplay home\u201d alongside all your \u201cadult\u201d dishes \u2013 and help warm everyone\u2019s hearts.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0Photos by\u00a0Agnes Liiv<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[200],"tags":[215,217,216],"class_list":["post-2253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-loomeprotsess","tag-keraamika","tag-labora-pood","tag-laboraworkshops"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2253"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2717,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2253\/revisions\/2717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/labora.ee\/et\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}