Giovanni Cimatti

Ceramicist

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The tireless experimenter

Giovanni loves to experiment with different ceramic techniques
He created his own versions of Korean sangam and Japanese raku techniques
All of his art pieces are one-of a-kind

There is a story Giovanni Cimatti likes to tell about his vocation as a ceramicist. In 1948, while his mother was pregnant with him, she worked for a few months in the oldest ceramic workshop in Faenza, the famous Bottega Gatti. So, Giovanni has always imagined himself in her womb, listening to the noises and voices of the place, and falling in love with the ancient craft of his hometown. Indeed, his creativity manifested in early childhood. He attended art school and became a ceramic art teacher, first in Siena and then back in Faenza. All along, he worked on his art pieces in his spare time, often by night. But since he retired in 2001, artistic ceramics have become his full-time job. Giovanni's production is extensive and includes small objects as well as huge sculptures, all one-of-a-kind and handmade with lots of different techniques.

Interview

Do you have a favourite technique?
I have two. One is 'sangam', a white clay inlay technique for vases originally from Korea. I have slightly modified it by adding colours in addition to white and using it on flat surfaces. The second is a raku of my invention, called 'dolce' because of the low temperature of extraction from the kiln.
Can you describe your creative process?
Actually, I cannot! I do not have a creative routine. When I wake up in the morning, I still do not know what I will do during the day. I would describe myself as a jazz musician who improvises without following a score, thus building a completely new world with his music.
What do you like the most about ceramics?
Ceramics is like liquid cement: easy to shape when it is still a mixture of clay and water, but hard and long-lasting once fired. Working with it is like building a sandcastle on the beach and then turning it into a real one, made of solid stone, just by firing it in a kiln.
What is the most difficult part of your work?
Breaking free of the rhetorics. When I start a new piece, I always ask myself: “Why am I doing it this way? Can I do it differently?”. And just like that, in trying to find an alternative to traditional techniques and stylistic features, an artist can push the boundaries and be innovative.

Giovanni Cimatti is a master artisan: he began his career in 1970 and he started teaching in 1970