03/06/2019 by Tiziana Manzetti

What are the most popular Italian dinnerware patterns?

Ask the question to a hundred Italians, and you’ll get a hundred different answers. We have so many regional designs, all deservedly popular thanks to their beauty and their century-old heritage.

However, I do wish to try and answer this question without claiming that this is an exhaustive list of all the best Italian dinnerware patterns, of course. It’s just a brief guide to help you choose.

1 – Classic Italian dinnerware patterns

Three designs belong to this group, all from Deruta: Raffaellesco, Ricco Deruta and Arabesco.

Inspired by 15th and 17th-century Deruta pottery, their classic beauty makes them versatile dinnerware sets whose exquisite elegance and subtle refinement are never commonplace. Here is a short description.

Continue reading →

04/09/2017 by Tiziana Manzetti

Paola Grizi Art Ceramics

Paola Grizi clay sculptures explore the human soul through the visual imagery of a woman’s face. An ageless face, able to capture and return, enhanced, the deep meanings behind fundamental relations, such as mother and child, culture and individuals, men and nature.

Stories are an important topic in Paola’s art, as well. Book pages filled with minuscule characters become alive under the viewers’ eyes. A hand, a nose, her iconic face appear to shatter the mystery in the narration and question its truths or maybe add to them.
Or, as in one of her clay sculptures, pages make their way out of the head of the woman. Dreams, memories, thoughts that impose their own meaning to reality

Born in Rome, Paola’s started modeling as a young girl in the studio of her grandfather, a well know Italian painter and sculptor. She graduated in Literature, but soon after Uni she followed her passion for sculpture, gaining for herself an International reputation. Recently, she has begun casting her works in bronze.

Paola Grizi: Looking Ahead, 2016. Private collection USA Credits: Paola Grizi

Paola Grizi: The secret, 2014. Changchun Museum, China Credits: Paola Grizi

Paola Grizi: The revelation. Private collection Italy Credits: Paola Grizi

Paola Grizi: Thoughts, 2015. Changchun Museum, China Credits: Paola Grizi

Paola Grizi: In the wind, 2017. Credits: Paola Grizi

By Tiziana Manzetti

03/02/2017 by Tiziana Manzetti

Art Deco Pottery, the Taste of an Epoch

Faenza
Feb. 18th – Oct 1st 2017

The Art Deco style developed internationally between the 1920s and 1930s, dominating the architecture and the decorative arts.
It was an eclectic, rich and opulent style, glamorous but at the same time elegant and above all ‘modern’. No wonder then that Art Deco was particularly favored by the modern middle class and lent its esthetical features to new theatres, ocean liners, railway stations, cinema interiors and private houses.

Just like Art Nouveau and Futurism, Art Deco influenced Italian interior and industrial design, fashion design, the graphic arts and, last but not least, Italian pottery, impacting both shapes, materials and decoration. It placed the myth of the machine at its center, replacing symmetries with geometries, and finally making the way for the industrial production.

Continue reading →

31/12/2016 by Tiziana Manzetti

Alessandro Mautone – from Naples to Vietri

Born in Naples in 1950, Mautone’s distinctive style is deeply influenced by the tradition of Vietri ceramics, especially in his choices of colors and lights.
His ceramics are dynamic, full of life, fantastic figures and idyllic spaces.
By Tiziana Manzetti

Alessandro Mautone

01/12/2016 by Tiziana Manzetti

Fausto Melotti – Trappolando

Until Feb. 27th, 2017
Milano, Italy

Fausto Melotti (Rovereto 1901 – Milano 1986) is one of the most renowned Italian ceramic artists of the 20th century. The Montrasio Gallery in Milan celebrates his work with an exhibition, showcasing 30 sculptures, bas-reliefs and ceramic pieces, some unknown to the public.

The exhibition title “Trappolando”, refers to the artist’s half-serious relationship with the medium, for him a continuous challenge that he was always happy to accept.

Melotti’s work is magic and full of poetic resonances, vital, varied and colourful. He collaborated with the most relevant designers of his time, Richard Ginori and Giò Ponti, never ceasing to experiment and wonder.
By Tiziana Manzetti

Fausto Melotti - Vase Peacock 1960 - Credits Artnet Continue reading →

28/11/2016 by Tiziana Manzetti

Tile floors that go down in history

Ceramic tiles have been used for centuries in the Mediterranean countries because they provided a durable floor surface and added color to both public and domestic settings.
Sometimes the tile floor bore the arms of the family who owned the residence or, having funded it, wanted to impress the future generations with their generosity.

Today, we draw inspiration from the elaborate designs of the past to create our own tile floors, using the same techniques that have made the history of these beautiful works of art.

by Tiziana Manzetti

08/10/2016 by Tiziana Manzetti

Bertozzi & Casoni – Nothing is as it seems

The irreverent ceramic artists Bertozzi & Casoni, who are contributing to the success of contemporary Italian ceramic art around the world, will be showcasing their new work in Massa Carrara. The exhibition will be hosted in the Palazzo Ducale in Massa until November 6, 2016.

Nothing is as it seems is the common theme of their new ceramic sculptures: everyday discarded objects, such as laundry detergent boxes, mattresses, canisters are combined with elements from nature in a dark juxtaposition of opposites.

By Tiziana Manzetti

06/09/2016 by Tiziana Manzetti

Seriously handmade – ND Dolfi, Tuscany

It does not matter that you like its style, really. What you cannot help is admiring their stunning craftsmanship and wishing to touch it.

Yes, ND Dolfi’s pottery never goes unnoticed. It is a feast for the senses and a superb example of what traditional techniques, experience, passion and eyes wide open on the world can do.

The Dolfi family has been making pottery since 1941. Silvano Dolfi, father of Natalia and Daria, founded his own company in 1994. He did not take long to build a fine International reputation for himself as an artist and for his company.

His daughters have inherited his talents. Together, now that he is no longer with us, they design and hand craft large vases, bowls, tiles, lamps and gorgeous home décor accents. A collection that year after year gets richer and richer of vibrant glazes, bold color combinations and new textures.