Bio

Tali Ilan was born in Israel where she studied art and painting in the Israeli Art Institute, Bat-Yam, and was personal apprentice to the Israeli painter Raffi lavie, a senior Instructor of Art College of Art Instructors in Herzelia. This was followed by two painting exhibitions in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. After raising her daughter she decided to pursue special education opportunities in the US. She committed to her passion for writing, finishing her MFA in creative non-fiction at Antioch LA.

Parallel to the development of her writing skills Tali devoted her time to creating pottery, concentrating on pinch pots, and hand build sculptures and working on the wheel. She studied ceramics at SMC during 2003-6 where she participated in group art shows in SMC gallery and on Dec 2005 Tali had her solo exhibition at On The Path gallery in Santa Monica entitled: “The Secret Properties of The Earth.”

Additional shows:
Studio art show at Xiem Clay Center, 2006.
Schomburg gallery at Bergamot Station, Santa Monica – December 2006.

Workshops:
“Primitive Clay Workshop” assisting Franklyn Phillips, SMC instructor in Costa Rica, 2006.
Paper clay workshop with Rosette Gault, MFA in ceramics, in Santa Monica, 2006.

Books:
In 2006 Tali was asked to have her work featured in Zen Book of Flowers By Brenda Berkley & Anulka Kitamura. The book will be published in September 2006.

Artist Statement

Working with clay and making pinch pots with Tom Baxter who studied with two Native American potters at the University of Santa Cruz opened me up to new relations and revelations of the earth and its properties.

Clay presents challenges that bring me into dialogue with the earth, its secrets and its hidden possibilities. It is a call, en echo within me, a deep urge to explore and express the unknown. This meeting between a call and an urge enables me to cross my own boundaries and create a newborn expression. 

Vessels manifesting themselves, colors cross over my known spectrum of vocabulary. The search for beauty makes me realize that being an evolving creator, a conductor of myself as a vessel, makes possible for me to bring to life creations, combining the metaphysical with the physical worlds and make a living connection between the two.

My work is an exploration through charcoal firing, Raku techniques and conventional high firing. The pieces are hand-built and wheel thrown, emphasizing the rough simplicity of touch, texture and impression, work that is very contemplative and serene.