Chiaroscuro is a technique used in drawing and painting, referring to the treatment of light and shade. It is a formal concept, tracing its roots to the Italian Renaissance meaning “light” (chiaro) and “dark” (scuro).
This term is translated onto Maricelle Olivier’s three-dimensional vessels, creating depth on the surface of each work. Olivier’s work typically consists of various colours on one work, where this body of work strives to create a variety of colour palettes on individual works to bring them together as a whole.
Olivier have experimented with adding ceramic coloured stain to ceramic slip to achieve the effect of a gradient shade of a single colour, further achieved through the repetition of slip lines. This interplay of light and dark tones and pattern on the surface seeks to dramatize the vessels, subtly embedding them with emotion and meaning.
