The artist
Three decades
with clay.
Raed Askar at work.
Raed Askar is a Palestinian-Finnish ceramic artist based in Turku. For more than 30 years, he has worked with clay, developing a distinctive practice centred on form, ornament and light.
Raed studied fine arts in Baghdad, Iraq, before establishing his ceramic practice in Turku, where he has been creating ceramics for over three decades. His work has also been presented internationally, including exhibitions in Europe, Baghdad and Kuwait City.
His work moves between functional objects and sculptural pieces, from bowls, plates and ceramic jewellery to candle holders and intricately pierced lanterns. Repeating patterns, carefully cut openings and textured surfaces give the work a strong sense of rhythm and detail.
Light plays an important role in Raed's practice. In his hollow and pierced forms, openings become part of the design itself, allowing light to travel through the ceramic and create changing patterns of light and shadow.
The practice
Form, ornament & light
01
Form
From functional vessels to sculptural objects, form provides the foundation for each ceramic piece.
02
Ornament
Pattern, texture and carefully created openings transform the ceramic surface.
03
Light
In pierced and hollow works, light becomes part of the piece, creating changing patterns of illumination and shadow.
More than three decades of working with clay.
Each piece is individually made in Turku, Finland
View the work