Joya: AiR / Kate Langrish Smith / GBR

‘I arrived at Joya: AiR excited by the prospect and luxury of spending two weeks immersed in a rural landscape, with other artists who would be living, exploring and experiencing this alongside me. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the countryside of the Sierra Maria as we drove to the Cortijada surrounded by magnificent mountains, almond trees and the parched white terrain. 

This parched white terrain was, as Simon informed me, mainly clay based  - and would form the focus of my creative exploration over my stay through collecting, processing, experimenting and then forming into vessels, inspired by the artefacts in Donna and Simons home and the surrounding materials. 

Joya: AiR enabled me to connect with the landscape and its ecology, the other residents, to share interests, creative practices and passions. This is supported by the vision, energy, care and nourishment that Simon and Donna create as part of an embodied expanded creative practice and home - exploring, learning, understanding and responding to the landscape and their place in it, and through compassionately sharing this space and knowledge, and encouraging and allowing others to explore and respond in their own unique way. A truly inspiring, energising and nourishing experience. 

I look forward to being able to return one year to collect and play with more clay and other local materials and possibly even fire work in the kiln’! 

Kate Langrish - Smith