Celebrating the Art of Claire Pedersen

By Hein Jonker

At Shutter Xposures, we believe every photoshoot should tell a story. Recently, I had the privilege of photographing the remarkable pottery of Claire Pedersen, an artist from Pennington on the KZN South Coast. Her work is intricate, textural, and deeply connected to the earth and ocean, a theme that inspired me to create a visual journey that moved from the controlled calm of the studio to the untamed drama of the beach.

Studio Light: Honouring Craftsmanship

The session began in our studio, where Claire’s pottery could be captured in its purest form. Against clean backdrops and under carefully sculpted lighting, every detail emerged: the carved patterns, the glazes shifting from earthy browns to oceanic greens, and the delicate sculptural elements that make her work so distinct.

One piece, adorned with figures gently holding the vessel, speaks of human connection and devotion to craft. Others, studded with shells and sea motifs, celebrate the South Coast’s shoreline, each pot echoing the textures and colours of nature itself.

Into the Elements: Ocean as a Canvas

With the studio portraits complete, we took Claire’s creations to the beach. Here, the pottery met the raw energy of the ocean. Carefully placed just out of harm’s way, yet close enough to feel the reach of the waves, these handmade vessels took on a new life.

The spray of a wave, foamy spills, and wet sand created a living backdrop, one that emphasised the resilience and fragility of the work. Each image became a dance between permanence and motion, between the solidity of clay and the shifting tides that inspired it.

Celebrating Local Artistry

This shoot was more than a photographic exercise; it was a celebration of local artistry. Claire’s pottery, rooted in the South Coast but carrying universal resonance, deserves to be seen not just as functional craft, but as art that tells stories of land, ocean, and human imagination.

At Shutter Xposures, we strive to honour artists like Claire by framing their work in a way that amplifies both their artistry and their voice.

A Collaboration of Art Forms

Photography and pottery are different mediums, but both are about shaping material into meaning. This collaboration brought those worlds together; clay shaped by fire, light shaped by lens, resulting in imagery that highlights the beauty of South African creativity.