VICTORIA GILLES FERNÁNDEZ
Whenever I begin a new project, I always take the time to lay out my stained clays and consider different colour combinations that could complement the base clay. Although sometimes I work with clay straight from the bag, I usually prefer to use marbled clay, which is made by blending offcuts from previous projects.
“I find a lot of inspiration in landscapes and the natural world. I love exploring microscopic worlds, aerial photography, and maps. Anything that defies my perspective, and makes me wonder and question everything I know.”
It's a very graphic process, more like making a collage. Then, I start building the piece with the inlaid slabs. Depending on the complexity of the design, this process can take several days to complete, including trimming, cleaning, and occasionally carving. After the bisque firing, I apply underglaze and glazes to complete the design.
I work with stoneware clays, ranging from white to speckled toast and grogged black. To add colour, I use specially formulated stains that dye the white clay. While I do glaze some pieces to achieve a particular finish, I find that leaving the fired pieces unglazed on the outside provides a unique tactile experience. Ceramics have a special quality that few other materials can replicate, and I enjoy exploring that aspect of the craft.
As a designer, my view of the world is driven by the search for function. I think objects that serve a purpose and are beautiful, or at least have the intention of saying something else, bring joy to our lives and add character and uniqueness to the spaces they inhabit.
Victoria Gilles Fernández (b. 1989) is a Buenos Aires-born maker based in London, who creates timeless and considered ceramics. She trained in Graphic Design and earned a postgraduate degree in Design Theory from the University of Buenos Aires. Victoria worked for many years in the fields of publishing, advertising, and digital design before discovering her passion for the tactile and expressive nature of ceramics. Her work is created using hand-building techniques, such as pinching, slab building, coiling, and inlaying, and each piece is unique. She uses colour and patterns to highlight form, taking inspiration from Latin American cultures and scenes, art history, heritage, nature and rituals.
