Cica Gomez

Ceramicist

©Ksenia Vysotskaya

©Bruno Verrier

©Cica Gomez Ceramics

Tied to the earth

Cica creates intriguing glazes with metal oxides
For her sobriety and simplicity mean elegance
Her works mix tradition and innovation

Looking at her studies, one would expect Cica Gomez to be in a courtroom. Instead, her life happily unfolded next to a pottery lathe in her atelier in Lyon. A degree in law and sociology left little room to be creative and tied to the earth. A passion that Cica inherited from her parents, both specialised in the applied arts. Her journey into ceramics began with the creation of small containers. The crucial moment is the "encounter" with the lathe through which brings variety to her pieces and demands precision to form the desired outlines. The colour and decoration of the object is also the result of Cica playing with metal oxides. The final range of colours is very nuanced, modern and discreet.

Interview

©Bruno Verrier

©Bruno Verrier

What are your sources of inspiration?: I start by drawing, searching for the outline that will give shape to the object. I like simple lines and shapes. I'm drawn to the Asian aesthetic of minimalism. But mostly its the earth that takes shape in my hands.
How do you combine tradition and innovation?: Pottery is an ancient art linked to Mother Earth. When I work, I listen to it in every way, generating a dialogue between me and the material. The final result has an ancestral element from the earth and one of novelty from my interpretation of it.
What suprises people about your craft?: The final price. People associate my work with what they find in large retailers, without realizing that my objects are not produced on a large scale. The higher price reflects the uniqueness of the object.
What does well made mean to you?: When I am happy with what I have crafted, then it means that it is well made. It is the object and the emotions it arouses that are key. Often it is the craftsperson's joy which matters most.

Cica Gomez is a master artisan: she began her career in 2013 and she started teaching in 2014