BIO
Mariella Pagliuca was born in Uruguay. While there, she started making ceramics pieces in 2004. After experimenting with different mediums, she choose to focus on clay. Mariella graduated from Crafts and Design Ceramics Program at Sheridan College in Ontario Canada.
She is currently creating her own collection of murals and pieces as well as actively teaching adults and children how to connect to the world of art through ceramics.
Mariella has vast experience giving workshops to special needs children and adults. She is inspired by her life experiences, as well as her surroundings. Creation and re-creation, building and re-building, construction and de-construction. She sees parallels between her processes in the studio and her philosophy of life. Each piece she creates is deeply infused with her own energy, emotions and feelings.
Mariella seeks to generate joy through the creation of each piece, not only by the mere beauty of each piece, but by the dual process of finding new light in the transformation that takes place within.
Artist Statement
My journey working with ceramics began as a way of expression of the beauty and infinite possibilities offerd by natural and versatile materials. My process starts by transforming raw material into new, diverse sculptures and murals. For me, the creation process of a piece triggers my personal energy to create and transform. Through the making process I seek to portray shape through the sensitivity and emotions that connect me with the outer world. The forms and textures embody my experiences and search for meaning in my life. As we perceive nature I find that the pieces I create imprint myself with new transformations that keep evolving endlessly, as all nature’s elements do. Erosion creates paths through which water flows and imprints the land. Through my art I seek to find balance and harmony, as a way to discover and learn where I belong in life. Ceramics as alchemy it brings together air, fire, water and mud, all elements in constant transformation. Where clay mutates with human intervention. Ceramic changes from rigid to flexible and back to rigid, in a process that seeks synthesis of the elements. Working with clay allows me to change and to make changes. These changes depend on my intuition, my own inner creativity. My colour palette usually is taken from nature, sticking to earthy, natural tones. I feel that these colours best reflect the shades and hues of my emotions and feelings.