Studio ceramics by Violante Lodolo D'Oria and Bottega Vignoli

Curated by Viola Emaldi

Violante Lodolo D’Oria (Genoa, Italy, 1971) is a London based Italian artist. She studied in Paris and New York, where she graduated in Fine Arts. Before returning to the ceramic medium in 2010, Violante has worked as a painter for a decade, developing a peculiarly refined sense of colour: her painting background is remarkable in her glazing technique and use of colour combination. Violante creates one-off sculptural ceramics inspired by the great Italian baroque architecture. The prominent features of these vessels are the concave-convex spatial effects, the rhythmic distribution of mass and space, the richness in surface decoration and colour alongside an overall impressive complexity of texture. Each piece is hand made using white smooth stoneware clay and fired in oxidation at 1260°C. Violante has developed an incredible glazing technique using a combination of three or more matte and shiny glazes which she masterfully drips and overlays achieving a stage where the colour impacts the texture and the texture exalts the colour itself.

Bottega Vignoli  is a brand of artistic ceramics based in Faenza, one of the most representative ceramic production centers in Italy. Founded in 1976 by sisters Saura and Ivana, Bottega Vignoli stands out for its limited production, accurate details and skilful experimentation resulting in stunning unique and one-of-a-kind pieces. Their style is immediately recognizable and expressly follows the path of Mediterranean majolicas, with inspiration taken from  Byzantine, Roman  and Islamic themes reinterpreted in their own unique style. Bottega Vignoli production includes ornamental pieces, household objects, elements for urban design, limited series and customized lines. The baking with full-fire reduction technique which they use allows them to obtain shimmering colours and iridescent reflexes so that every piece has unique and inimitable features. The decorative themes are historical reinterpretations or completely original ones, but always on the path of research that makes this territory so distinct.