“My art is a product of deep listening to the material, in order to hear what it is asking of me. In stillness, I rest in the vastness of the unknown. The vastness forms itself through my hands into those rocks which combine nature and human, open and closed, being and holding, rough and smooth, presence and disappearance.”
Hilda Merom — Ceramic Artist
For almost four decades, Hilda Merom has explored the meeting point between clay, nature, and the unknown, creating functional ceramics and sculptural works that bring together raw, rugged textures and smooth, refined surfaces.
Born in Argentina, Hilda immigrated to Israel in 1971. Her artistic journey has been shaped by diverse cultural influences, her practice of meditation and Zhineng Qi Gong, and an ongoing dialogue with the natural world. Through extensive experimentation with saggar firing and organic materials gathered from her surroundings, she has developed distinctive expertise in ceramic surface development. Working with natural combustibles and raw materials, she creates complex textures, subtle colour variations, and unique surface effects. Her practice combines technical knowledge with an openness to the unpredictable, allowing fire and organic matter to leave their imprint on the clay.
Hilda has exhibited her work internationally and is a leading ceramic artist in Israel. Her work has been purchased by the Israeli Parliament for permanent display. In 2018, sponsored by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, she participated in an artist-in-residence programme in Sanbao, Jingdezhen, China, working alongside Chinese and international artists. The residency culminated in an exhibition at Sanbao Art Gallery, and she presented her work to students at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. In 2009, she was selected to exhibit her work in Gangjin, South Korea. In 2003, she received a bursary from the Designer Crafts Foundation in the UK, where she visited studios and collections and presented her work to leading British potters.
Hilda has also given workshops and lectures in Israel and abroad. Her practice continues to be guided by a fascination with the mystery of clay and the dialogue between artist and material—a wellspring of curiosity, discovery, and continual evolution.
Education
Hilda’s relationship with clay began in her youth in Argentina and continued in Israel at the Clay Art Department of Tel-Hai College. During a stay in the United States, she pursued full-time studies in clay art at Florida International University under the guidance of Professor William Burke. There, she immersed herself in Far Eastern firing traditions and participated in workshops led by influential ceramic artists, including Paul Soldner, Don Reitz, Karen Karnes, Rudi Autio, Peter Voulkos, and others.
