The Italian Job Lucy Fenton, owner of Fenton & Fenton, chats to ceramic artist, Patrizia Italiano and learns about her journey as a ceramicist and the inspiration behind her latest creations. Sicilian Ceramic Artist, Patrizia Italiano draws inspiration from the magical island of Filicudi, where she creates whimsical, colourful and expressive characters & creations. Her work pays ode to the island’s colours, smells, landscapes and sunsets. Each piece is lovingly hand-crafted with time-honoured traditions and embodies elements of nature and everyday life in Sicily, reinterpreted her way.
Q&A We love your colourful and expressive ceramics. Where did your life as a ceramicist start and how has it evolved? I have a vivid memory from my childhood, where once a year we would visit a great-aunt at the Benedictine Convent in Catania. She was the superior of the convent, a cloistered nun: a discipline that did not allow her to leave the Monastery. She taught pottery to the children of the convent school. On our visits I remember a large wooden table 20 meters long, exploding with florals, colours, tools and clay. I was endlessly fascinated with it all and touched everything, exploring the clay with my little hands. Later in high school I began to attend ceramic workshops in Sicily. I learned to work on the lathe, to glaze and pass colours. I was fascinated by everything, the designs of the Sicilian tradition, the techniques, the other creators and where I lived. After high school I attended university and completed a thesis on ceramics. I joined an association of artists and craftsmen and we were housed in a building in the historic centre of Palermo, where each artist worked independently on a discipline. These were wonderful years full of energy, talent and creativity. After only a couple of years I then opened my own small independent studio.
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Patrizia Italiano
