Giving new life to familiar forms
- For Riccardo, clay was love at first sight
- He produces his own unique glazes
- Quality, creativity and research drive his practice
After attending several university courses at the Faculty of Geology in Florence, Riccardo Gori enrolled in a professional training course in ceramics in Faenza to formally learn wheel throwing. He fell in love with clay and, in 1981, after gaining a professional diploma by the Region of Tuscany, he decided to devote his career to this craft. Riccardo recalls three influential masters: Arnaldo Cavallazzi, ceramicist in Faenza, Bruno Gambone, ceramicist and sculptor in Florence, and Giorgio Mattioli, manufacturer of Kachelofen majolica stoves. Over the years, Riccardo worked for some famous ceramics manufacturing companies, in the Montelupo Fiorentino and Sesto Fiorentino areas. "Every experience gave me the opportunity to learn many secrets of the Italian culture, particularly of the Tuscan traditions," he says. Today Riccardo can be found in his atelier in Certaldo, a little town near Florence, where his wife, Silvia Ferraro, takes care of the production of porcelain jewellery.
Interview
- What is your favourite technique?
- I usually use the wheel throwing technique and plaster moulds for jewellery. In addition to traditional glazing techniques, I use self-produced crystalline glazes that are the result of 17 years of testing.
- What are your sources of inspiration?
- Ceramics are my passion, so I have studied their history and various expressions over time. My inspirations come from studying European ceramics, and in particular the prehistoric and classical period forms, but also Chinese and Japanese artworks.
- How do you combine traditions and innovation in your work?
- You can find the flavour of many different traditions in all my artworks. Usually the influence is very explicit. Producing special glazes and using them to make unique objects is my favourite way to innovate.
- How would you define your work?
- Quality craftsmanship. Being a craftsman allows me to express creativity freely. When I can achieve the result I intended, and people around me appreciate it, it is a gratifying satisfaction.
Riccardo Gori is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1981 and he started teaching in 2020
Works
Where
Riccardo Gori
