CLARA CERAMICS CREATIVE JOURNEY: HANDMADE ART AND WORKSHOPS
CONNECTION WITH TIME AND WITH ONESELF
In this interview, Clara, the mind and hands behind Clara Ceramics , shares her relationship with ceramics, the value of time in her creative process, and how each piece reflects an inner journey. In addition, we explore how her workshops invite participants to join this artisanal journey, and the impact of astrology on her upcoming workshop in collaboration with astrologer Tatiana Sánchez of Ser e Esencial .
The Origin of Clara Ceramics: A Journey into Artisan
How did your journey into the world of ceramics begin and what prompted you to turn this passion into a way of life?
"Since I was little, I always loved creating with my hands, but my real journey began with my relationship with time. I always felt like I didn't fit in with the fast-paced world, like I was out of date. When I started with ceramics, I felt like I had finally found a space where my time and I fit together. The artisanal process is slow, full of waits, transitions, and gaps. At that moment, I decided that I wanted to grow that way, and that's how this journey began. When I found that space, I said to myself: I want to grow like this, here I will find the challenges that will take me where I want to go... and that's how it all began."
How do you describe the value of time in your creative process?
"It's easy to fall into autopilot in the day-to-day, but when I stop to think about it, every piece I make is a journey. From the initial idea to the final firing, there are many phases: sketches, choice of materials, glaze tests... It's like planning a trip, you look for information and follow each step until the day you set off, without knowing exactly what you'll discover. Ceramics connects me with more natural times, although sometimes I feel that dichotomy between the urgency of delivery and my need to do things at my own pace. Working with my hands helps me gain perspective and slow down, to get off the wheel of uncontrolled productivity. Time in my creative process is essential: it allows me to respect my own pace and disconnect from external pressures."
How do you find beauty in everyday objects and why is it important for each piece to be unique?
"My work is born from the need to create beautiful things, objects that I would like to have myself. It makes me happy to surround myself with beautiful things and pay attention to the small details, just like when I travel. In this sense, it reminds me that no two people make the same trip, even if they take the same route. They can tell you the itinerary in detail, but your trip will never be the same as that person's; you will meet different people, the weather will be different and you will notice different things, you will experience things in a different way... each look is unique, just as each process is unique and creates unique pieces."
How do you relate your creative process to a trip?
"Something that also happens to me when I travel is that when we travel we are more open and sensitive to what surrounds us, we pay more attention to those details and that makes us anchor ourselves in that present in some way. I try to bring that sensitivity to the things that surround us, in our daily lives. Staying in the present through beautiful things is what inspires my pieces and helps me when designing them."
How does travel inspire your creative process?
"I love to travel and have always been inspired by getting out of the familiar and discovering other cultures, designs, colours and foods. When I travel, I try to absorb everything from where I go (I love photography and drawing; when I travel I never leave my camera or my notebook alone). There is always inspiration and beauty everywhere, you just have to be sensitive to it and pay attention. For example, when I have a coffee in a Nordic country , I am amazed by the subtle, modern lines of the cup; or, if I am in Portugal , I am fascinated by the rotundity and tradition of its cheerful dishes. I like to unravel the culture of each place through its everyday objects."
Traveling through workshops: new experiences
If we think of each workshop as a little journey, your workshops seem to offer a “slow journey,” almost like a form of escape. What do participants discover in your creative workshops?
"My studio is very bright, which makes my workshops feel very calm. It's like those long, quiet summer after-dinner conversations that drag on and on, with moments of silence and contemplation. Workshop participants discover that when their hands model clay, their brain disconnects from what is not there, and they focus on the present, as well as their perspective. "The attitude towards author's ceramics changes completely after the workshop, cultivating an admiration for our work. When you model clay, you disconnect from the outside noise and focus on the present. I think people seek to reconnect with manual work, with the tangible, and find in that process a space for introspection."
Do you think people seek out these types of introspective and manual journeys to disconnect and reconnect with themselves?
"I don't know if people who attend the workshops discover new facets of themselves... or rather new skills. I suppose they discover themselves doing something completely foreign to them that brings them peace and presents them with an experience in which time passes in a different way. In any case, I think they discover other realities or other ways of life. I like to be that haven of peace and that truce in the asphalt where they can come to connect with themselves through manual work and contact with clay."
What new destinations and creative journeys do you have planned for Clara Ceramics?
"Right now I'm on a very special journey that I'm really excited about: opening a street-level workshop in Prosperidad. We're in the middle of the construction work, and designing the premises with my partner seems like a very exciting and, in some cases, quite demanding adventure. I'm looking forward to reaching the destination and opening the doors to you, although I'm also enjoying the process of designing this dream. (On October 12, without going any further, we're going to a Portuguese quarry to get stone...)"
Is there a project or workshop that you are particularly excited about, taking advantage of the opening of your new space, and that you would like to share?
"As for workshops, I'm opening the season after my maternity leave with a very special workshop by Ser e Esencial (Tatiana Sánchez Cobo) on astrology and ceramics."
How do ceramics and astrology connect in your next workshop with Tatiana Sánchez Cobo?
"I like astrology, although I'm not an expert, because it offers another perspective to get to know yourself and reflect on aspects that you can balance. I think that, in that sense, it has a connection with ceramics: both have a spiritual component and help you connect with yourself on different levels.
I have always been drawn to amulets and rituals, both culturally and personally. So when Tatiana proposed to collaborate, I thought it would be interesting to create a ceramic piece for new moon rituals, charged with creative energy for those moments of introspection.
During the workshop, Tatiana will explain how to read the birth chart, and then we will create a piece for the new moon rituals, such as a small plate for palo santo or a candlestick, to accompany you in those moments of contemplation."
