Breaking away
- Grietas Taller is the name of Brigit's workshop in the rural province of Antioquia
- She used to hand paint for master artisans from Carmen de Viboral
- She attended knowledge exchange residencies at Ceramiche Rampini in Tuscany several times
Very close to Carmen de Viboral, the cradle of hand painted ceramics in Colombia, the mountains and flora of Antioquia appear through the open windows of Brigit Gómez's workshop. Though she grew up in a region with strong bonds to ceramics, Brigit's real contact with the craft was at University of Antioquia in 2009, studying Technology in Crafts through a scholarship. Her artistic abilities for decorative painting opened opportunities to work with Colombian and Italian master artisans at El Carmen and abroad. However, when she discovered wheel turning, it opened up the possibility for exploration. She started to make creations of her own and departed from tradition. Brigit has been working crackled pottery since 2014. "Ceramics, like life, travel through different states of being.” This contrast is continuously present in Brigit’s work, as she transits from delicate decorative patterns to rustic imperfection that reflects her earthen roots.
INTERVIEW
My rural neighbourhood had no contact with the ceramics industry of El Carmen, but I commonly found broken pottery parts along the road from school to home. I collected these to play 'kitchen' when I was little. I also recall my grandmother’s earthenware pans which she used to cook arepas (cornbread) over the fire.
This territory is known for its ceramic tradition and my experience and journey as an artisan has been closely linked to El Carmen de Viboral. My family, on the other hand, has no artisan heritage. My parents are farmers and work the land.
In essence, my main source of inspiration is Pachamama's (mother earth) poetry, though I am continuously crossing the boundaries between the baroque saturation of Ceramiche Rampini and the spontaneous essence and simplicity of Japanese ceramics.
The pottery wheel provided a different approach to my work, which had been mainly about decorative underglazing. I was able to create functional pieces like tableware, vases, coffee sets and other crockery and explore controlled imperfections given by the material and firing.
