Illustrated pottery
- Susana creates tableware and decorative pieces such as lamps and vases
- She works mainly with earthenware, but also with porcelain and terracotta
- Her pieces are unique with captivating illustrations and designs
Susana García Gómez studied Fine Arts at the University of Castilla La Mancha in Cuenca and Ceramics at the School of Ceramics in Madrid. She also learned the craft from the many master artisans who crossed her path. Susana always felt the need to work with her hands and create. Around 2013 she set up her workshop in the countryside, on the outskirts of Madrid. "I started by occupying part of the garage of my house. In two years, I had occupied all the space," she recalls. Today her workshop, Favorito Studio, is her temple, the place where she spends most of her time experimenting with different techniques, materials and designs to create playful and very personal ceramics. “I live surrounded by nature and that influences my work a lot,” she says. “It is a very intimate craft. It reflects my expressiveness, my joys, and my imperfections”.
Interview
- How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?
- My pieces always incorporate some of the traditional wisdom. I express tradition in my work with the raw materials I work with, and innovation with my designs. I make traditional tableware and utilitarian pieces with simple shapes, but I innovate with their decoration which is constantly evolving with new combinations of colours, forms, glazes and designs.
- How would you define your artisanal work?
- My work is joyful, personal, and expressive. My pieces emanate light and colour. Decorating ceramics for me is more complicated than painting on a canvas because you must adapt the paint to the shapes and volumes, and you don't see the result until the piece is fired in the oven. In a way, you're going in blind.
- Could your craft be considered endangered?
- I don't think so. People who buy craft have a special sensitivity, with a more conscious way of thinking, living and consuming, and with a high social commitment. It is said that handmade pieces are part of the artisan's soul. They have designs and finishes that are different from industrially made pieces.
- What advice would you give to young ceramicists?
- I would tell them to find their own way. It is good that they inform themselves and see how other artisans work, but not everything works the same way for everyone. They must find their own business model and delegate to other professionals what they do not master. Also, do not stop training in your discipline and sharing with others your experiences.
Susana García Gómez is a master artisan: she began her career in 2013 and she started teaching in 2017
Where
Susana García Gómez
