從雨林記憶到墨爾本工作室：Szilvassy 以指尖尋回土地連結，探尋物體本質的出口

Artist - Shari Lowndes（Szilvassy）*。© Caitlin Mills*

If a piece can gently expand that awareness or change how someone relates to a familiar action, then it's moving beyond pure function and entering a more meaningful interaction and dialogue." (如果一件作品能輕輕擴展那種覺察，或改變一個人與熟悉動作之間的關係，它就越過了純粹的功能，進入了一種更有意義的交流與對話。）

  —— Shari Lowndes

當代快速更迭的物質世界中，陶藝是工藝復興，也是對時間與存在意義的重新審視。當機器大量生產消弭了造物的溫度，陶藝成為了一種抵抗快速消費的冥想，帶領我們在濕潤泥土與熾熱爐火中，找回人類對物質最原始的渴望。對於陶藝家 Shari Lowndes 而言，器皿不只是日常使用的道具，它們蘊含著一種安靜的潛力，足以在使用者舉起杯盞或指尖觸碰碗緣的瞬間，撬開日常慣性的裂縫，讓人重新拾回對當下的感知。這種對於「覺察」的追求，構成品牌 Szilvassy 的核心靈魂。

In today’s rapidly changing material world, ceramics represent both a renaissance of craft and a re-examination of time and existence. As mass production erases the warmth of creation, pottery becomes a meditation that resists fast consumption, leading us to rediscover humanity's most primal yearning for materiality amidst damp clay and roaring kilns. For ceramicist Shari Lowndes, vessels are more than daily utilitarian objects; they harbor a quiet potential. The moment a user lifts a cup or traces the rim of a bowl, it fractures the inertia of daily routine, allowing them to reclaim their perception of the present. This pursuit of "awareness" forms the core soul of her brand, Szilvassy.

承諾的重量：以 Szilvassy 之名

品牌名稱 Szilvassy （讀音 /SILL-VAA-SHI/）源自於Shari 母親的靈魂伴侶Zoltan 的姓氏，也是一位匈牙利詩人。儘管 Zoltan 與母親相識僅數週便確診腦癌，但在生命最後的五年裡，這位詩人即便身處病痛，仍以對創作的純粹熱情深刻啟發了 Shari 全家人。

在他離世前，Shari 許下承諾：她將致力於藝術創作，實踐具備覺知與創意的生活。如今，Szilvassy 是她對諾言的兌現，也象徵著那份從詩人靈魂中承襲而來的，對造物永無止盡的熱愛。目前，她的工作室目前坐落於澳洲墨爾本科林伍德藝術區（Collingwood Yards），是由室內設計師 Dion Hall 操刀規劃，以鋼製展架與自然光影交疊出井然有序的秩序與純粹感，一件件陶器作品沉穩陳列，展現低調而沉靜的美學基調。

The Weight of a Promise: In the Name of Szilvassy
The brand name Szilvassy (pronounced /SILL-VAA-SHI/) originates from the surname of Shari's mother's soulmate, Zoltan, a Hungarian poet. Although Zoltan was diagnosed with brain cancer just weeks after meeting her mother, during the final five years of his life, the poet profoundly inspired Shari's entire family with his pure passion for creation, despite his illness.
Before his passing, Shari made a promise: she would dedicate herself to artistic creation and live a conscious, creative life. Today, Szilvassy is the fulfillment of that promise, symbolizing the endless love for creation inherited from the poet's soul. Her studio is currently located in the Collingwood Yards arts precinct in Melbourne, Australia. Designed by interior designer Dion Hall, it utilizes steel shelving intertwined with natural light and shadow to create a sense of order and purity. Piece by piece, the ceramics are steadily displayed, showcasing a subdued and tranquil aesthetic.

來自雨林的印記，土地給的第一堂課

Shari 作品中那份厚實且沉穩的質感，根植於 Shari 對土地的深層記憶。童年在澳洲新南威爾斯州北部的雨林裡度過的她，透過大自然的啟蒙，學會靜下心來觀察素材的個性，並感受時間在細節裡的緩慢堆積，也構建了她日後創作的底蘊。當她長大後再次觸摸陶土，內心深處便湧現出一股強烈且無法言喻的共鳴，彷彿在那瞬間，找回了與土地失散已久的連結。

帶著這份共鳴，她在尋找藝術出口的轉折點上正式開啟創作之路，並投身陶藝家 Shane Kent 門下，展開長達五年的指導學習計畫。這段深厚的師徒緣分不僅紮穩了她的專業根基，更將單純的拉胚技法，昇華為結合陶瓷史與藝術哲思的深度探索。對於 Shane 及其伴侶 Jane 一路上的扶持，她至今仍心懷感激。

Imprints of the Rainforest: The Land's First Lesson
The substantial and grounded texture in Shari's work is rooted in her deep memories of the land. Spending her childhood in the rainforests of northern New South Wales, Australia, she learned through nature's enlightenment to quietly observe the character of materials and feel the slow accumulation of time in the details. This laid the foundation for her future creations. When she touched clay again as an adult, a profound and indescribable resonance surged from deep within her—as if, in that instant, she had retrieved a long-lost connection with the earth.
Carrying this resonance, she officially began her creative journey at a turning point while searching for an artistic outlet. She apprenticed under ceramicist Shane Kent, embarking on a five-year mentorship. This deep mentor-student bond not only solidified her technical foundation but also elevated simple wheel-throwing techniques into a deep exploration bridging ceramic history and artistic philosophy. She remains deeply grateful for the support of Shane and his partner, Jane, along the way.
Subsequently, under the guidance of Neville French at SOCA (School of Clay and Art), she opened the door to glaze chemistry, learning to explore the nuanced relationship between surface and form through glaze expressions. This rigorous training, blended with artist Isamu Noguchi's insights into the essence of materials, quietly shaped the current form of her work: a serene presence, brimming with the weight of life, that transcends the boundaries of traditional vessels.

隨後，在 SOCA（School of Clay and Art）導師 Neville French 的引領下，她進一步敲開釉藥化學的大門，學會透過釉藥的表現，去探索表面與形體之間的細微關係。經由這些嚴謹的訓練，揉合藝術家野口勇（Isamu Noguchi）對材質本質的體悟，悄然形塑出作品如今的樣貌：一種跨越器型邊界、靜謐且充滿生命分量的存在感。

在輪廓與飾面中，隱藏手感的微小溫度

在創作實踐中，Szilvassy 的器物幾乎全由 Shari 手拉坯成形。比例精準，線條流暢，且表面均整光滑的功能性的杯、碗、盤，常因過於精緻而被誤以為是模具注漿（slip-cast）的工業製品。然而 ，Shari 始終堅持拉坯工序，並在作品中保留細微的手作痕跡。她說，這是對完美刻意留下的伏筆：「我會有意識地在這些小器皿上留下一絲手感，像是一種靜默的提示，讓人感受到它確實是由雙手捏塑而來的。」這些微小的指觸紋路，讓原本冷靜規整的器皿，多了一點人與物交會的溫度。

The Subtle Warmth of the Human Touch Hidden in Silhouette and Finish
In her creative practice, almost all Szilvassy wares are wheel-thrown by Shari. With precise proportions, flowing lines, and smooth, even surfaces, her functional cups, bowls, and plates are often so refined they are mistaken for slip-cast industrial products. However, Shari steadfastly insists on the wheel-throwing process and retains subtle handmade traces in her work. She describes this as an intentional caveat to perfection: "I consciously leave a hint of the maker's hand on these small vessels, like a silent reminder, letting people feel that it was truly shaped by human hands." These minuscule fingerprints add a touch of warmth—a meeting point between human and object—to otherwise cool, disciplined wares.

相較於小件器皿在造形上的嚴謹，在創作大型作品時，Shari 傾向更為自在且大膽的實驗色彩，讓她暫時拋開功能性的包袱，擁有更自由揮灑的空間，並去挑戰陶土的結構極限，以及在過程中深化與素材的對話。這兩種創作尺度的並行並非衝突，而是一個相輔相成、循環演進的過程。

2019 年推出的首個系列「Aether」（以太），便是這套思維的起點，核心在於展現陶土最本質的特質：器物外壁完全不施釉，保留了土質最原始且帶有顆粒感的觸感；內部則施以混入採集自金合歡樹灰（wattle tree ash）的青瓷透明釉。這種「外在原始、內在精緻」的對比，不僅是她對美學的個人堅持，也反映她對物體本質那種想要探究到底的好奇心。

In contrast to the formal rigor of her small objects, Shari leans into freer, bolder experimentation when creating large-scale works. This allows her to temporarily shed the baggage of functionality, granting her the freedom to push the structural limits of clay and deepen her dialogue with the material. The parallel existence of these two creative scales is not a conflict, but a complementary, cyclically evolving process.
Her debut collection in 2019, Aether, marked the starting point of this mindset. Its core lay in revealing the most essential traits of clay: the exterior of the vessels was left entirely unglazed, preserving the earth's raw, granular texture, while the interior was coated in a transparent celadon glaze mixed with harvested wattle tree ash. This contrast of "raw exterior, refined interior" is not only her personal aesthetic insistence but also reflects her insatiable curiosity to probe the true nature of objects.

陶土、釉藥與自然的持續對話

挑選陶土是決定作品調性的關鍵。她偏好混合多種澳洲本地陶土，刻意保留土質原有的顆粒感與色澤層次，讓燒製後的成品依然能觸摸到原始粗礪感。她甚至會在馬其頓山脈（Macedon Ranges）的居所附近採集天然黏土，直接將生活現場的泥土揉進創作裡。對她來說，施釉的目的不是為了遮掩瑕疵，而是為了襯托質感；她著迷於光線如何與紋理交織，或觀察釉藥如何在陶土上產生預期之外的化學反應。

這種「共生」的態度，讓創作更像是一場與材料、自然的即興對話。她有意識地將燒製過程也視為創作者之一，讓陶土、釉藥與表面質感在烈火中自行磨合，體現各自鮮明的性格。作品是否「完成」，標準從來不在於精確的對稱或無瑕的視覺效果，而是握在手裡的份量是否對應了她內心最初的那個直覺。

這種隨性也延伸到她對創作時機的看法。在工作室裡，有些初步想法會因為當下的手感或心境尚未成熟，而在架子上擱置多年。經過時間沉澱，再次回頭觀看，才在新的生命閱歷下找到清晰的出口。這份遲來的契合往往能指引出全新的創作方向，讓作品在最恰當的時刻，成就它最自然的模樣。

An Ongoing Dialogue with Clay, Glaze, and Nature
Selecting clay is the key to determining a piece's tone. She prefers mixing various local Australian clays, deliberately retaining their original granularity and color gradations so the fired product still holds a raw, coarse tactility. She even harvests natural clay near her home in the Macedon Ranges, kneading the literal earth of her living environment directly into her art. For her, the purpose of glazing is not to mask flaws, but to accentuate texture; she is fascinated by how light weaves through patterns, or by observing how glazes produce unexpected chemical reactions on the clay.
This attitude of "symbiosis" makes her creative process feel more like an improvisational dialogue with materials and nature. She consciously treats the firing process as a co-creator, allowing clay, glaze, and surface texture to harmonize on their own in the fierce heat, expressing their distinct personalities. The standard for whether a piece is "finished" never rests on precise symmetry or flawless visual effects, but on whether its weight in the hand corresponds to her initial, intuitive vision.
This spontaneity extends to her view on creative timing. In the studio, some preliminary ideas might sit on a shelf for years because her touch or state of mind at the time wasn't quite ripe. Only after the dust of time settles does she look back, finding a clear outlet through new life experiences. This delayed alignment often guides her toward entirely new creative directions, allowing the work to achieve its most natural form at exactly the right moment.

那些被溫柔對待過的日常連結

Szilvassy 的器皿之所以耐人尋味，是因為它們提供了一種「功能之外」的價值。Shari 思考功能性的方式無關效率，而是流動的意識。她認為功能性物品是日常節奏的一部分，擁有形塑我們如何移動、停頓與聚焦的力量。當一個杯子的重量、紋理或觸感被使用者察覺時，物與人之間就已經進入了更深層的交流。

她擁抱器物在使用過程中留下的印記，如細微的染色、質地的磨損或小小的瑕疵，這些是與時間互動的體現。Shari 相信，當器物離開工作室、進入人們的生活後，它的生命才真正展開。隨著歲月推移，器物會因為人的使用與觸摸而變得圓潤，產生獨特變化，這些磨損或痕跡並非損壞，而是在朝夕相處中，被溫柔對待過的印記。

Everyday Connections Treated with Tenderness
Szilvassy's vessels are intriguing because they offer a value that goes "beyond function." Shari's approach to functionality is not about efficiency, but about a fluid consciousness. She believes functional objects are part of our daily rhythm, possessing the power to shape how we move, pause, and focus. When a user notices the weight, texture, or feel of a cup, a deeper interaction between object and person has already begun.
She embraces the marks left on objects through use—subtle staining, textural wear, or minor imperfections—as manifestations of interacting with time. Shari believes that an object's true life only begins once it leaves the studio and enters people's lives. As the years pass, wares become rounded and develop unique patinas through human use and touch. This wear and tear is not damage, but the imprint of being treated with tenderness through day-to-day companionship.

從陶出發，與多樣媒材的持續對話

對於未來，Shari 並不打算將自己侷限在單一領域，對於不同媒材、創作尺度或是跨界合作，她始終抱持著躍躍欲試的開放心態。目前，她正與當地的建築師及設計師展開新的計畫，嘗試以陶土為起點，探索與其他材質結合的可能性。這份不設限的渴望，源自她對世界持續的好奇，也是延續對 Zoltan 所許下的諾言。

在這個變動的時代，Szilvassy藉由來自澳洲大地的泥土，與我們共同思索：當我們開始有意識地挑選器物來豐富生活，並在日常中與之共處，我們就有機會在每一次平凡裡，重新找回對自身存在的感知，以及如何更有自覺地生活的靜謐實踐。

Starting from Clay: A Continuous Dialogue with Diverse Mediums
Looking to the future, Shari has no intention of confining herself to a single discipline. She maintains an eager and open mindset toward different mediums, creative scales, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Currently, she is embarking on new projects with local architects and designers, using clay as a starting point to explore the possibilities of combining it with other materials. This boundless desire stems from her continuous curiosity about the world and serves as an extension of the promise she made to Zoltan.
In this era of flux, Szilvassy uses the earth from the Australian land to help us collectively reflect: when we begin to consciously select objects to enrich our lives and coexist with them daily, we find the opportunity—within every ordinary moment—to rediscover the perception of our own existence and the quiet practice of living more consciously.