Fernanda Pompermayer

Ceramicist

©Studio Rocha

Collage sculptures with clay

Fernanda is a self-taught ceramicist
She creates sculptural ceramics using the nerikomi technique
She opened her studio following the pandemic

Fernanda Pompermayer graduated in graphic design and worked as a fashion photographer before finding her path in ceramics. Her creative expression always manifested through collage. The Japanese technique called nerikomi explores precisely the collage of materials on the surface of a piece, creating different prints and shapes on the surface of the finished object. This is her preferred technique. Fernanda enjoys the solitude of the clay process. "I love the fact that the material transforms in the kiln. There is always the element of surprise and a surrender to control," she says. It was during the pandemic that she dived deep into studying ceramics and created a new career path.

Interview

©Studio Rocha

©Studio Rocha

In the digital era we are in, how important is it for you to work with your hands?: The part I love most about ceramics is the possibility of spending hours immersed in creating off-screen, working in a way that is 100% intuitive, exploring the possibilities of matter, losing myself in the process, reflecting all the while.
Is there any connection between your work as a photographer and as a ceramicist?: Photography was the first language I found to express myself. I have always been interested in objects and creating form and texture. Now I feel that I have applied this to the clay universe with which I can actually materialise my intentions.
What is your creative process?: My creative process is always based on collage. I am fascinated by rock formations and minerals, and that is where the name of my studio, Rocha, came from. I research a lot about how this process happens and, in a way, I try to reproduce it within my works, while also leaving a lot of space for the unforeseen to happen.
Between tradition and innovation, where would you position your work?: I think my work flirts with both universes. After all, clay is something extremely traditional, though there are infinite possibilities for experimenting with the material. I always try to explore different techniques and mix other materials in with the clay.

Fernanda Pompermayer is a rising star: she began her career in 2019