Patricia Chica

Ceramicist

©Diego Montoya Chica

Shockwaves of life

Patricia teaches functional ceramics at her studio
Fractal patterns in nature inspire her
She ran a hand painted tile production workshop for 10 years

The dew-laden vegetation and mist of cold mornings sets the daily scene of Patricia Chica's studio, peacefully immersed in the mountains outside Bogotá. Nature has been her companion and inspiration ever since she opened her studio here in the 1990s. The patterns of form, repetition and fractality present in organic elements fascinate her. For Patricia, a creative spark may come from the texture of shells and oceanic wildlife or the simple observation of onion layers as she cooks in her kitchen. As a master of sculpture, she addresses each of her series as unique works, in small and large formats commissioned to challenge and prove that she has the ability for continuous reinvention.

Interview

©Diego Montoya Chica

©Diego Montoya Chica

How did you choose your path as a ceramicist?: It was during my thesis before graduating from my Master of Arts in Sculpture at Universidad Nacional. I had my first experience with clay as I created a high relief for my own version of the Nativity. Perhaps was it a reflection of my life at that time as a married mother of one with another baby on the way.
When did you open your own studio?: I initially opened a hand painted tile business in the 1980s, but once I closed this small production workshop, I properly reconnected with sculptural ceramic in this studio in the mid-2000s.
Tell us something most people do not know about your craft.: Most people do not know the complex technical process behind my craft. For example, how critical firing is and the many variables that put long hours of work at risk each time.
Can you recall a significant moment in your career?: My husband’s accidental death brought me to a complete stand still for months. I came out of that state of 'numbness' so much more organic than before. It was how I started working on the Folds and Leaf series, marking a new cycle in my personal life and art.

Patricia Chica is a master artisan: she began her career in 1975 and she started teaching in 2010