Jamila Cruzado

Ceramicist

©Bruno Geraldi

A deep dive into matter

Jamila addresses contemporary themes with her ceramic sculptures
She finds inspiration in everyday situations
Her creations reflect a mix of play and rigour

Jamila Cruzado’s relationship with ceramics started in her first year of college, when she first came into contact with clay. In ceramics she found a language and an extensive field for experimentation. The contact with the material and the freedom she felt when touching the clay won her over. "Shaping clay with my hands connects me to Minas Gerais," explains Jamila about her place of origin which is a mountainous region rich in minerals. At the beginning of her journey, she learned to make moulds with the slipcasting technique and she gradually became interested in producing everyday textures in ceramic. Over time, Jamila has included symmetry of shapes, throwing on the lathe and hand modelling into her practice, which together give her great freedom to express her perception of the world.

Interview

How do you combine tradition and innovation in your collections?: I use traditional hand making techniques with contemporary shapes and textures. I am meticulous in my choice of materials. I like the surprise gesture, and the dents and deformities that give unique features to a piece. I let clay be a space for creation and experimentation, in this sense there is a fusion of tradition and innovation.
What is your creative process?: When an idea comes up, I make a sketch or a brief note. I tend to have many notebooks around me documenting single words, ideas and phrases that have impacted me in some way. I do not have the final form defined when I start working on a new piece, instead it reveals itself in the process.
Are aesthetics and functionality equally important in your pieces?: It depends on the project. Not all the parts of a piece need to be functional for the whole to be functional. The sculptural expression of a piece is in the foreground for me, and the function is not as central.
What do you love most about your profession?: The freedom to model clay and the silence while working. Being able to experiment in silence is like a deep dive into matter. It is like being in dialogue with concentration, passion and precision all at once.

Jamila Cruzado is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2000