Marta Maria Trenti

Porcelain maker

The blue of faded ink

Marta handcrafts porcelain objects which she paints with elaborate blue illustrations
She originally trained as an construction technician in Veneto and worked as a tattoo artist
Her compositions on porcelain hold hidden meanings and symbolism

Marta Maria Trenti’s journey into ceramics started with architecture and tattoo art, which she spent five years practising professionnally. Later, porcelain, as fragile as the human skin, offered Marta more artistic freedom and became her canvas. Living in Berlin, Marta draws inspiration from old master painters to craft porcelain objects that carry a host of symbolic expressions. One of her significant pieces is a vase made for the Meissen Porcelain Biennale, a tribute to her grandmother. "The vase features symbols for health and fortune, reflecting my grandmother’s motto for life," explains Marta. Rather by accident, she started using a simple palette of blue, white and gold, which also evoke the Meissen porcelain of her adopted country. Merging this German tradition with her Italian heritage and a touch of bold modernity, Marta's works are also a nod to her past as a tattoo artist.

Interview

What is your advice regarding a move from ceramics to porcelain?: I would say you do not have to follow a set path. If I had listened to people who told me, "to do plaster properly, you need four or five years of practice," I would have stopped before even starting. So just go for it and learn from the best.
Do you see a link between tattoo art and porcelain work?: Being a tattoo artist made me realise that everyone’s skin is unique. The way bone china changes and reacts in the kiln, and how it transforms each time, reminded me of that.
How does your Italian background influence your work?: When I moved to Berlin, I did not realise how many porcelain manufacturers there were, or how popular white and blue were. I chose these colours because blue resembles the shade tattoos develop on skin over time. Interestingly, it was also the colour Meissen used for centuries, so my porcelain began to connect with this German tradition.
Is there something about your work that might surprise people?: I exhibited four pieces at the Meissen Biennale. At first, people just passed by without noticing my work. But then, they realised my porcelain was not traditional blue and white after all, as it had skulls and other unusual motifs.

Marta Maria Trenti is a rising star: she began her career in 2016