The course will focus on each participant's creation of a handmade ceramic tile mural, decorated with the sgraffito technique. A mural that tells a story, describes a character, or illustrates a subject, real or imaginary, mythological or personal.
Sgraffito is a ceramic decoration technique where a layer of slip is applied to completely cover the surface of the pot followed by scratching or carving through this layer to reveal the color of the clay underneath, creating a contrasting design formed by the negative space. Sgraffito designs range from simple lines and shapes to complex patterns and images: the technique has been used for centuries and is found in various cultures throughout the world.
The course will alternate theoretical explanations with demonstrations and a lot of hands-on practice, including:
Students will learn the decorative technique of sgraffito and its variations, finding their own expressive voice through exercises and experimentation. They will practise drawing and explore the narrative aspect of illustration.
The final outcome of the course will be two tumblers (aprox 12cm) and a cermics mural, which will be fired (and optionally glazed) after the end of the course.
The cost of firing and glazing the pieces is included in the course fee, while shipping costs are extra. Shipping costs for 3kg packages range approximately from 40€ for most EU countries to 80€ for the US).
This course is suited for anyone with any level of ceramics experience.
This course is designed to help people with a background/interest in illustration to apply their drawing skills to the ceramics medium. We highly encourage you to apply if you have an active drawing/illustration practice or a background in illustration/drawing/graphics/painting/visual arts.
If you do not have such a background or an active drawing practice, we recommend that you practise your drawing skills before attending the course, and come prepared with a few drawings or designs of your interest.
Clara Holt is an Italian artist, born 1987 and raised in Pescara. She has a background in classical studies and graduated in neuroscience before discovering her interest for ceramics, specifically ceramics decoration, as well as print-making and etching.
Clara has exhibited her work in Italy and abroad and is the co-founder of Fuoco Blu, a ceramics studio in Milan, a sharing space dedicated to ceramics where she teaches decoration techniques and complements commissioned work with personal pieces. In 2024 she opened a second small ceramics workshop in Genoa, by the sea, where she works and occasionally hosts art residencies.
Clara's work focuses on storytelling, with the ongoing drive to convey stories, characters and experiences. These tales are inspired by mythology, folk traditions, legends, real or fantastic tales of the places she lives or explores. Stories handed down through tradition or emerged from the unconscious: full of symbols that speak of the most irrational and hidden sides of human nature.
Autobiographical practice allows her to question her own identity, sowing symbolic clues without revealing transparent meaning. Her illustrations leave room for different interpretations, not limiting themselves to being purely decorative, but becoming the very essence of each piece. The search for harmony between form, technique, materials and illustration is an ongoing challenge for her.
https://www.instagram.com/clara.holt.ceramics/
During this week, you won’t just get a ceramics course. We’ve also organised a program of activity so that you can connect with Sicilian culture, get to know beautiful Salemi and its rich history, territory and natural ecosystem.
You will:
The Salemi School of Ceramics is a social enterprise that has been opened to create a learning centre for contemporary ceramics, the first of its kind in Sicily.
The School has been created in partnership with the local town of Salemi, which has provided the gorgeous space - the Sant'Agostino Monastery - that will be used for the school.
Salemi has a gorgeous historical centre and because it is quiet and peaceful, it is the perfect place for a mindful ceramics retreat.
Classes will be held from Monday through to Friday. On Sunday, there will be a welcome dinner and on Saturday, we will bid you farewell.
Classes will be 4h each morning (9am-1pm). Afternoon schedules will vary: 2/3h of class on Monday and Friday (2-5pm), 2/3h of free studio time on Tuesday and Thursday, and Wednesdays outside the studio on a field trip to discover the local heritage.
Order of the day:
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The Salemi Project wants to make Salemi a recognised centre for contemporary ceramic art. Come and be part of it!
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