“I was mesmerized”

The first time the artist saw someone throw a pot began a life-long fascination with, and dedication to, working with clay. “I was mesmerized by it and wanted to try it. I still have the first pot that I threw on the wheel thirty years ago, because it actually worked out. I think it was beginner’s luck, but I was hooked.” The process, the aesthetic, the tactile medium spoke to him from the very start and in turn, he uses this medium as a way of helping people (re)discover and explore their own creativity, both personally and professionally. 

Ed Bamiling’s vessels and sculptures embody a unique connection between the artist’s hand and the hand of the final user. His intentionally personal and multifaceted approach enhances their presence and expressive power. Bamiling pushes the boundaries of clay by incorporating techniques such as grooving, finger-combing strong patterns, hand-modeling, and applying intricate slip and glaze designs. He even uses handmade hair brushes to shape sculptural forms from fragments or to impress natural-inspired textures onto complete vessels, imbuing each piece with a sense of organic harmony.

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As a young artist Bamiling participated in the development of a hybrid material call “paper clay” at The Banff Centre.  Paper clay allows for a greater flexibility in design and manipulation through the incorporation of an abundant amount of cellulose within the clay body.  This affords the artist increased latitude in form.  Where there is a gain in flexibility to develop typically difficult shapes and details, there is a shift in normal processes of working with clay.  Greater percentages of cellulose greatly alter drying and firing processes as well as other technical considerations.  This necessarily demands greater attention to such things as shrinkage values during the stages of development from clay to fired object.  In other words, paper clay is a technically challenging but aesthetically rewarding medium.

A practicing artist for more than 30 years, at The Banff Centre Ed Bamiling has been a Leadership Development facilitator for over ten years, guiding creativity sessions with both public and custom programs, and is the Ceramics Facilitator with Visual Arts, in charge of all aspects of operating the ceramics studio, as well as consulting with and assisting resident artists on their projects. He has exhibited his work widely in solo and group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. 

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Paper Clay’s drying process and firings within the kiln can result in spectacularly robust reactions that literally rip and shatter objects. Working with this fundamental characteristic of paper clay, instead of trying to control it, the artist mines the results of previous practice to reorganize the shards and other elements into evocative arrangements.