Books in the How Ideas are Born series

This book contains a representative selection of the work of some of the best ceramic artists in the world. The 25 featured artists explain, in their own words, the creative processes behind their work, what inspires them, the strategies they use to stay fresh and creative, what distinguishes their work from that of other ceramic artists and how they achieve this. Through examples of their most personal creations -objects capable of affecting us emotionally, surprising us and making us think-, the artists reveal important details about their ceramic creations: how it was made, how it was shaped, which glaze and engobe coating they used to give the clay color and texture, the firing temperature of the kiln and the type of kiln chosen. The reader is provided with an illuminating glimpse into each artist's unique creative world, where they point out the defining features of their work and reveal some of the secrets that characterize their artistic processes. Paragons of exploration, risk and versatility, the extraordinary artists highlighted in this book rediscover thousand-year-old traditions, reinvent perspectives, transcend boundaries, tell stories and rebel from conventional expectations, creating in the process an exhilarating space where art, clay, water, air and fire meet and, ultimately, inspire. CERAMISTS INCLUDED. ARGELIA: Nathalie Doyen (Belgium). BELGIUM: Ann VanHoey. CHINA: Wan Liya. FRANCE: Monsieur Cailloux. GERMANY: Monika Debus. INDIA: Madhvi Subrahmanian. IRLAND: Nuala O'Donovan. ITALY: Paola Paronetto. JAPAN: Shozo Michikawa, Kaori Kurihara (now France), Yuko Nishikawa (now USA). MEXICO: Gustavo Pérez. NETHERLANDS: Cecil Kemperink. NIGERIA: Ngozi Omeje Ezema. POLAND: Monika Patuszynska. SPAIN: Ícaro Maiterena, Xabier Montsalvaje, María Oriza, Myriam Jiménez Huertas, Ana Felipe, Roger Coll. UK: Alice Walton, Nicholas Lees. USA: Lauren Nauman, Godeleine de Rosamel.

Ideas are not born alone. They come from a process to a large extent organized and rational but sometimes unconscious and magical. In this book we can enjoy and learn from the creative processes of great graphic designers and creative voices around the world. Here we can find impulsive design versus more cerebral design; radical and avant-garde design alongside poetic, childish, commercial, intellectual, subversive and socially oriented design. 26 designers from 15 countries show us their workspaces, their personal notebooks and their creative processes. They teach us the keys to understand what is behind those magnificent works that inspire, thrill, impact or invite us to action. In this book the creative process itself is inspiration, a unique guide to creativity with storytelling and lessons on how to live your best creative life.