Interview to the artist by Rachelle Gryn Brettler, from our Anniversary Book
I like to work backwards, thinking about what I want the viewer to feel and experience first and then carefully figuring out how to construct the artwork that achieves those goals as opposed to finding inspiration and letting an idea steer the way. Once I have decided what I am making, I then like to bring spontaneity back to the process through the assembly of a piece, constantly tweaking the position of tiles by what feels right, not what is right, so the finished artwork has a refined composition but with an organic feel.
Because I start from the end result and work backwards, it focuses where I look for references and how I choose compositions. For example, I have recently made a series of wall pieces including different sized blue circles titled the Archipelago Installation. The goal was an impacting wall installation with floating pieces that are scalable and creates an atmosphere of serenity for the viewer, evoking images of exotic tropical getaways. I do this by using soft gradients of blue shades starting from a centre shade of sand-like white, inferring they are Coral Islands seen from above, and the fade out to dark representing the water going from shallow to deep. My work is also inspired by geological formations. I enjoy crafting minimalist textured studies inspired by how rocky surfaces are reshaped over time.
I work with paper clay fired to 1250 Celsius. The clay’s natural colour is a warm white so to create colour gradients, I use powdered stains in different ratios to make different shades. I like earthy colours that evoke nature and can blend into a space rather than demand attention.
I was born in Brazil and grew up in Rio de Janeiro. My family moved to London when I was eleven. I was very creative as a child and loved to tell stories, through writing and drawing. When I went to university, I studied film production with the goal of becoming a director or cinematographer, but I struggled to find consistent work. I tried out ceramics as I had learnt the basics from my mother — ValeĢria Nascimento. And then by a combination of perseverance and luck, I managed to make a living in ceramics. I still love to tell stories, specially by writing fiction.