In a city like Grottaglie, where pottery making is one of the main resources, Francesco Fasano’s ceramics stand out for their unusual designs, sophisticated elegance and technical superiority.

Francesco’s ancestors established in Grottaglie in the 17th century and his family has been in the ceramic business for generations. He grew up in his father’s Cosimo ceramic studio and the passion for pottery was enhanced by his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, where he learnt to use different methods and was very much influenced by the patterns and decorative motifs of the Eastern cultures.

As a matter of fact Francesco’s pottery and dinnerware are a harmonious blend of styles, so unique that his pieces cannot be mistaken for anybody else’s. His favorite production method is  known as “sgraffito” – in English “scratched”.  He applies a layer of engobe or liquid clay on a leather hard pottery piece. When dry he  scratches the layer to form a design and reveal the clay color underneath. After the first kiln firing he applies glassy, intensely colored glazes, one by one, firing the pottery up to 3 times.

The result is just amazing: a real treat for Italian pottery lovers.
By Tiziana Manzetti