Magdalene Odundo BY: Eduardo Hasbun

An Intro. To Magdalene Odundo’s World of Ceramics Magdalene Odundo (b. 1950) grew up in Kenya and moved to England in 1971 to continue her training in graphic art. Growing restless with this medium, she decided to explore the possibilities of clay. She returned to her native Africa in , visiting Nigeria and then Kenya, to study the ways women produce pottery using traditions of hand-building and firing that are thousands of years old. She also traveled to New Mexico and observed the women of San Ildefonso making their distinctive blackware vessels. Odundo returned to the London area where she still lives to complete a Masters degree at the Royal College of Art, having developed a style and technique of making ceramic vessels distinctly her own. Through out the next power point, certain examples of her invaluable art will be displayed, amongst other information that, demostrate the way the artist has been motivated and inspired through out her life to become the artist she is.

Ceramics Example #1 Untitled 1990 Coil Technique burnished and carbonised terracotta 17 1/2 x 11 1/4 in/44.5 x 28.6 cm signed under base Displayed at the Nelson- Atkins Museum.

Untitled [B] 1997 Coil Technique burnished and carbonised terracotta 17 x 10 3/4 in/43.5 x 27.4 cm signed under base Displayed at The Cleveland Museum of Art 2003 Ceramics Example #2

Untitled # Coil Technique burnished and carbonised terracotta 21 x in/53.34 x cm Displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Ceramics Example #3

Untitled 1990 Coil Technique burnished and carbonised terracotta 17 x 11 1/2 in/43 x 29.5 cm Displayed by Gallerist Dr. Werner Muensterberger Ceramics Example #4

Untitled # Coil Technique burnished and carbonised terracotta 17 3/4 x 12 in/45.1 x 30.5cm Displayed The Nelson-Atkins Museum Ceramics Example #5

Influences: Magdalene has traveled all over the world from Kenya to New Mexico, in order to achieve her unique style, but she has also used other ceramic pots from other artist such as the famous British Bernard Leach which is one of the best known potters in all of England. He and Magdalene compare a same style in what is color, but in my personal opinion, Odundo gives a much more unique and original shape to the ceramic works. Her major influence is Africa, there she observed the technique that they use, which has been used for more than thousands of years. After all it is her home, where she comes from. Her pots demonstrate a great deal of Africanism, even though she also uses European modernism; most of her pots can have many similarities with the ceramic works found in Africa. For example she uses the same colors, the same style, and most importantly just like the Ceramic artists in Africa she uses African nature as a source of inspiration.

Influences continued… African Works of Ceramics:

More Influences… Bernard Leach Ceramics Work:

SKETCH #1 This sketch is inspired in Odundo’s African Style. I absolutely loved her pot so I plan do a very similar pot, but in a much more smaller scale and different colors. I will use a coiling Technique.

Sketch #2 This is another pot inspired in Odundo’s work, I plan to do this work by using the coil construction technique.

Bibliography "Bernard Leach." Pottery Studio. 2 Sep Burns, Marla C.. "Ceramic Gestures New Vessels by Magdalene Odundo." UAM. UAM. 2 Sep Magdalene Odundo’s artwork images: "Magdalene Odundo Selected Artwork." Anthony Slayter-Ralph fine art Anthony Slayter- Ralph fine art. 1 Sep 2008.

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