Sandra Davolio

Scroll down to read an interview with the ceramic artist.

Sandra Davolio is an acclaimed contemporary Danish-Italian ceramic artist who has been represented by Modernity for more than ten years.

Davolio takes her inspiration from nature and the ceramic traditions of the ancient Etruscan culture. Her technique involves throwing the vessel before applying rolls of wet porcelain to the body of the piece. She then carefully thumbs these into her characteristically delicate fringe-like protrusions, resulting in organic biomorphic forms that resemble corals or blossoms. The play of light on the pleats of the white porcelain is particularly striking.

“Using an unyielding material
to achieve my delicate pieces thrills me.
In fact, it is precisely this somewhat contradictory
aspect that defines my practice.”

Because of the complex structure and thinness of the applied porcelain, Davolio’s pieces are extremely difficult to fire and take weeks to finish. The sizes of her sculptures range from small to monumental, some reaching up to 70 cm / 2' 3 1/2'' inches. As a graduate of the Danish School of Design in Copenhagen, Davolio is influenced by a minimalist Scandinavian design aesthetic.

Davolio’s work is represented in multiple major collections of international museums and institutions, such as the Smithsonian Design Museum's Cooper Hewitt in New York, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm.

Interview
with Sandra Davolio

What is the relationship between the material (porcelain) you use and the final form of your vessels?

“Porcelain is among the most difficult materials to work with as a ceramicist. It is beautiful and fragile, but it has a truly temperamental nature.

The entire process entails risks. At every stage, there are new possibilities of breakage, which might lead to my discarding g the entire piece if I am not satisfied with the final result. I appreciate the unpredictability of the process.

Using an unyielding material to achieve my delicate pieces thrills me. In fact, it is precisely this somewhat contradictory aspect that defines my practice. I never know how many pieces will survive my own production process.”

Why did you choose organic shapes for your vessels?

“I have always been inspired by and attracted to objects from ancient Mediterranean cultures, especially the Etruscan culture with its sense of refined, immaterial beauty. And their appreciation of women!

Starting with a classic ceramic shape as the basis of my work, I intuitively add my own expression by altering the surfaces of the pieces. I allow each piece to grow into its own shape. The process ends when I feel the piece is completed.”

Do some of your vessels get broken during the process of creation? At what point are you satisfied with the final piece?

“Because of the difficulties involved in working with porcelain, many of my pieces have, throughout the years, broken during the production process. In the beginning, I had to discard around 50% of the vessels.

I do not believe in achieving a predetermined production amount – consequently, the final sale is not my main goal. I strive to realise what I feel is the best expression of the potential of porcelain.”

When did you start experimenting with ceramics?

“When I moved from Italy to Denmark in the early 1970s, I didn’t know anything about working with ceramics. A friend told me about an activity centre close to where I lived, and it was there that I discovered a ceramics workshop in the basement: my passion for ceramic art was born.

This led me to pursue an education at the Danish School of Design, where I spent five wonderful years exploring and experimenting. And the journey is still ongoing.”

What are you most proud of?

“I am most proud of my first exhibitions in New York, Paris, and London: people admired and bought my work, not because of a famous artist's name but simply because they admired my pieces.”

How do you feel about your career thus far?

“My ‘career’, in the classic sense of the word, is secondary to my work. I have always enjoyed making ceramics independently of demand or success.

I consider myself a rather private person. That being said, it is of course very satisfying to have arrived at a point where my ceramics are internationally well received and displayed at numerous important museums.”