Sandra Schaffner

Ceramicist

Constantly searching for new alchemies

Sandra selects and tests new local materials to develop her own glazes
An approach that is mindful of the environment guides her research activity
She reinterprets ancient techniques and styles into everyday objects

Sandra Schaffner was born in Tuscany, and came into contact with the world of ceramics when she lived in Santiago de Chile. "I worked in the experimental ceramic workshop run by Carolina Grof," explains Sandra. Thanks to another famous artist, Maria Letizia Duranti, Sandra learnt the secrets of the Chinese and Japanese ceramics that she loves and reinterprets in a personal way. Back in Italy, she continued to train and to develop her research activity working with some renowned Italian ceramicists and attending the School of Ceramics in Montelupo Fiorentino and La Meridiana, the International School of Ceramics in Tuscany. In March 2022, Sandra opened her workshop in San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, where every year she welcomes a student attending the School of Ceramics of Montelupo Fiorentino to share her workshop and her skills.

Interview

Why did you choose this profession?: It gives me the opportunity to unleash creativity and make the most of everything the world has to offer. I produce new glazes from waste materials, such as ash, or use zero-kilometre materials such as river, lake, volcano sands to increase the sustainability behind my works.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: The art of modelling ceramics is very ancient and has a long history of evolution in materials, techniques, as well as in shapes and decorations. I love to bring this ancient art into our present-day world, combining inspirations from different cultures to achieve original results.
How would you define your work?: Counter-trend and challenging. Against the rhythms and the productivity logic imposed by modernity, I want my work to respect certain timeframes, and originality and uniqueness cannot be achieved with scalability. For me, this balance is a continuous challenge, both on a professional and personal level.
Is there something about your craft that people usually do not realise?: Few people are aware of the research work behind choosing to make your own glazes. It requires dozens and often hundreds of tests to fine-tune, to select and prepare raw materials and to analyse the results. It involves frustration, a lot of patience and great passion to achieve a tangible result that until then only existed in my imagination.

Sandra Schaffner is a rising star: she began her career in 2022 and she started teaching in 2022