Artist statement
Through the artistic process, I seek to explore the symbiotic relationship of opposing forces; negative and positive space, common and noble materials, control and the unknown. My work is inspired by the Taoist principle of Yin and Yang.
My pieces are built from plaster moulds, a process typically used to create mass-produced functional objects. In industrial manufacturing, the aim is to optimize for efficient production by paring down plaster moulds to their simplest functional form, resulting in the elimination of variability. In contrast, my plaster moulds consist of hundreds of hand-carved individual tassels, leaving an endless possibility of joints - the spaces where variations exist. My work is made to honour the unknown and embrace the infinite shapes and possibilities created by these joints.
I am deeply interested in the artistic process as a form of self-discovery; to explore what is visible on the outside and unknown on the inside. The plaster mould and the porcelain form symbolise this conversation between what is interior and exterior. With each new piece, I deconstruct, modify, and reassemble the mould to create a new relationship between the plaster and the porcelain, the external and internal. Each pour of the mould is an act of discovery, where the piece reveals its true form after the last tassel is pulled away.
My works exist in the space between aesthetic and functional, sculpture and vessel, and organic and structured. Through my work, I surrender to each new equilibrium that is formed between these opposing forces.
About the artist
Federica is an Italian-born entrepreneur and artist based near Rome. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics and Marketing and her Master’s degree in Fashion Management in 2011 and began her career in marketing. Seeking a change of environment, in 2013, Federica moved to Myanmar, where she started to shift into more creative careers. She launched a successful furniture company and later an architectural studio, learning on the job to design both furniture and interior spaces. ( Selection of her design work >>> ) During her time in Myanmar, Federica was inspired by Eastern philosophical traditions and art, in particular Oriental vases and vessels, which have a symbolic role in Asian society.
Due to the global pandemic, Federica returned to Italy in 2020 and decided to fully dedicate herself to the exploration of her creativity. Attracted to the physical quality of building with clay, Federica became a pupil of Maestro Riccardo Paolucci where she experimented with many techniques. She found her calling after attending the seminar “Creative Molding Technique” by Simon Zsolt Jòzsef.
Currently, Federica is pushing the limits on hand-sculpted mould techniques and is studying Ceramics at the school of “Arti Ornamentali” in Rome.
