TRICIA VISSER
Professional Artist, Ceramist and Sculptor
Background
I currently reside in Rustenburg South Africa and own a ceramic studio where I present ceramic
classes and produce commercial products as well as conceptual bodies of work. I obtained a
Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts in 2016 at the University of South Africa through which I
produced animations and sculptural stop-frame animation installations. Furthermore, I completed
a Diploma in Tertiary Education at the University of Pretoria in 1993 and a Diploma in 1992 in
Oral Hygiene at the University of Pretoria.
I participate in a range of art exhibitions such as the Animals in Law and Society: Perspectives
from Africa and Beyond at the International Animal Ethics conference held in Pretoria at the
University of South Africa which was curated by Dr Nathani Lüneburg, Celia de Villiers and Ciara
Struwig. I also participated in South African Visual Arts Historians (SAVAH) Annual Conference
held at the University of South Africa which was curated by Dr Gwenneth Miller. Additionally, I
participated in the third year UNISA visual art student exhibition in 2013 curated by Dr Gwenneth
Miller and Colleen Alborough and the fourth year UNISA student visual art exhibition in 2014
curated by Dr Ania Krajewska, where I received the Merit Award for top Honors programme.
During 2021, I partook in an All-Ceramic exhibition called A Fling with Spring, curated by Rex
Nigrini and Rika Haasbroek at the Tina Skukan Art Gallery, Pretoria, Fairy Glen. In 2020, I
participated in the annual membership exhibition of the Association of Arts Pretoria, 173 Mackie
Street, curated by Pieter van Heerden.
About my sculpting processes
Since I am a ceramic sculptor, I enjoy hand-building techniques such as coiling, slabbing and
pinching. These methods can be used to create almost any sculpture. In my sculptures, I don't
employ a conventional armature; instead, I use the air that is trapped inside the encased clay
during construction, which acts as a "balloon" and serves as my armature. I don't use any
sculpting implements other than my hands while the clay is still wet. I only use sculpting tools to
add detail to the sculpture once the clay has reached the leather-hard stage.
I experiment with different minerals such as copper oxide, iron oxide, manganese, yellow ochre,
titanium white and a variety of stains as colouring. More stains and oxides are added as needed
after the initial bisque firing, and the piece is then fired once more. The typical range is 1180 to
1200 degrees Celsius.
About my master’s degree studies
Currently I am enrolled for my Master's degree in Visual Arts at the University of South Africa
under the supervision of Dr Nathani Lüneburg and my body of work consists of a dissertation and
a full solo exhibition during September 2023. Overall, my work deals with the trauma of pet loss.
While some pet owners neglect their animals and subject them to terrible circumstances devoid
of any real interaction, many others care for and nurture their pets and develop affectionate
relationships with them. Most pet owners are confronted with a pet’s death at some time, and
conversely, pets may experience the loss of their owners through death. However, the reaction
of the individual or the animal is dependent on the level of attachment between them. In most
instances, pet owners outlive their animals, deeming themselves fortunate if their animals reach
the age of ten years. Wendy Packman, Betty Carmack, and Rama Ronen (2012:335-336) claim
in Therapeutic implications of continuing bonds expressions following the death of a pet that,
when the inevitable pet death occurs, the owner with a deep attachment to the pet is left grieving
and reflecting on memories. Packman, W, Carmack, B & Ronen, R. 2012. Therapeutic
implications of continuing bonds expressions following the death of a pet. OMEGA - Journal of
Death and Dying 64(4):335-356.
