Via seca
via umida
An Exploration of Fragility and Sacred Knowledge
“Via Seca Via Umida” marks a pivotal moment in my artistic exploration, where ceramics became more than just a medium—it became a sacred surface. This piece was born from the delicate balance between form and fragility, inspired by ancient symbols and the wisdom carried through time, much like the fragility of old books that preserve the most profound knowledge. The tension between the ceramic’s physical vulnerability and the symbolic weight it holds mirrors the fragility of life, ancestry, and the knowledge passed down through generations.
Pushing the Limits of Fragility
The allure of ceramics in this piece lay in its fragility. I was captivated by the temptation to see how thin I could mold the material without it cracking, each layer a test of endurance and delicacy. The material itself mirrors the thin pages of sacred texts, holding the potential to crumble yet still housing immense power and knowledge. The unpredictable nature of the clay invited me to embrace uncertainty and risk in my creative process.
The Influence of Ancient Symbolism
Inspired by the depictions and symbolism of ancient Egyptian art, I infused Via Seca Via Umida with images that arose organically, as if whispered through time. These illustrations came to me in a loose narrative, feeling like a continuation of a story that I had begun to uncover in previous works. This piece follows the creation of The Book of Secrets, where I first experimented with painting on ceramic surfaces. The images I etched into the surface of these tablets feel like a dialogue with ancient wisdom, a sacred script from a forgotten past.
The Delicate Dance of Creation
In contrast to The Book of Secrets, where I utilized silk-screening techniques to transfer illustrations onto ceramic, Via Seca Via Umida embraced the freedom of hand-drawing and scratching directly onto the surface. The lines were not just painted but removed—scratched into the ceramic with precision and intent, revealing the material’s raw beauty.
Ceramic responds to paint in ways paper and canvas never could. The delight of this discovery was one of the driving forces behind Via Seca Via Umida, as I allowed myself to embrace the imperfections and unexpected textures that arose through the process.
A Continuation of a Sacred Journey
In many ways, Via Seca Via Umida feels like a natural evolution of my work—an ongoing exploration of how materials, symbols, and narratives intertwine. The piece represents a bridge between the seen and unseen, a reflection on how fragility and sacredness are inherently connected. It speaks to the quiet persistence of knowledge and memory, even when the surface holding it seems ready to crumble. Each tablet becomes a timeless offering, a sacred script etched into the fabric of time.
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