In April 2021 “Porcelain medals by Maaike van de Gevel” appeared in the Spring issue of The Medal, the periodical of BAMS, the British Art Medal Society. BAMS is based at The British Museum, Department of Coins and Medals, London.
The article was written by Arnold Nieuwendam.
Click: Porcelain Medals by Maaike van de Gevel
On 1 July 2020 an earlier version of this article appeared in the Muntkoerier magazine. https://www.maaikevandegevel.nl/maaikevandegevel.PDF
The medal sculptures I made in 2019/2020 within the theme of Breath are made of porcelain. They are all unique and signed. Most medals are made of just porcelain, only a single medal has a lick of glaze. This is done to keep the experience of the material as pure as possible when you hold it in your hands. Occasionally I use grains of rice in the porcelain to make transparency and fragility visible. The works are fired at 1260° C.
Viewing a medal sculpture is an intimate process, an experience actually. You take it in the palm of your hand, you can feel the shapes with a single finger and you can view the work very closely and from both sides. You can wrap it with both hands. Making contact with it like this, each medal tells its own story; the artist’s story mixes with what the viewer experiences. While the viewer is looking at and touching the medal, it gradually takes on the temperature of his/her hands.
If you are interested in a medal, or in the prices, please send an e-mail to: info@maaikevandegevel.nl
Photo editing: Arnold Nieuwendam