ceramics – Circle Foundation for the Arts

Mary Di Iorio

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Renowned Brazilian visual artist, researcher, and teacher, Mary Di Iorio, seamlessly blends her passion for art with an illustrious career spanning decades. With her artistic roots planted in the spring of 1969, Di Iorio currently divides her time between the vibrant cities of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Her journey as an artist has been marked by a series of significant achievements, both in Brazil and abroad.

Di Iorio embarked on her artistic pursuits with a specialization in Art History and Architecture at PUC - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was here that she laid the foundation for her artistic endeavors, paving the way for a remarkable career that would soon unfold. Her first solo exhibition took place at the esteemed Salão Jovem of Minas Tennis Club in Belo Horizonte - MG, captivating audiences with her unique artistic vision.

Throughout the years, Di Iorio continued to captivate art enthusiasts through a series of solo and group exhibitions, embarking on transformative trips and attending courses both within Brazil and internationally. Her artistic journey took an exciting turn in 1972 when she played a pivotal role in establishing the Faculty of Arts at the Federal University of Uberlândia - MG. Here, she not only curated courses but also served as a professor and Head of the Department, leaving an indelible mark on the artistic landscape.

To further refine her craft, Di Iorio traveled to Italy in 1978 to study at the Belli Arti Academy "Pietro Vannucci," where she had the privilege of learning from the esteemed Juliano Giuman in the fields of painting, art history, and ceramics. The following year, she meticulously documented her experiences as a ceramics teacher. As an influential figure in the art world, Di Iorio has delivered enlightening lectures both in Brazil and abroad, sharing her profound insights and experiences.

Di Iorio's contributions to the field of ceramics have been widely recognized, with notable publications such as "Arte Cerâmica no Ensino," published by the Federal University of Uberlândia/MG in the summer of 1992. Additionally, her works have been featured in various books, catalogs, magazines, and newspapers, accompanied by critical acclaim. She continues to expand her artistic presence through her website, which provides a digital gallery of her works and a platform to connect with art enthusiasts worldwide.

Mary Di Iorio's artistic journey serves as a testament to her unwavering commitment to the arts. Through her vibrant creations, she has not only contributed to the cultural landscape of Brazil but has also left an indelible mark on the global art scene. As she continues to explore new artistic dimensions, Di Iorio's talent and passion promise to inspire generations of artists to come.

For more information about Mary Di Iorio and her works, visit her websites at www.marydiiorio.wordpress.com, www.marydiiorio.com.br, www.marydiiorio.com.br/new, and more.

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Saba Besier

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“I am a Pakistani-born, American artist and hold an MFA from Pratt Institute in New York. I am currently based in Dallas, Texas and have been an exhibiting artist for 25 years; showing my work both nationally and internationally.

My sculptural formations are both a celebration of oceanic organisms as well as an acknowledgment of the ecological trauma that is disrupting ecosystems as they disappear. Because of climate change, the ocean as a system is at risk, struggling to keep pace with human-caused conditions. The sculptural forms intermingle what could exist through caustic mutation or evolve on other planets, colonized if we deplete our own resources. These science-fiction-like growths combine plant, mineral, metal and human representations depicting the existence of other-worldly creatures, beauty molting out of hardened places.

In a way, this fantastical fluid transformation out of rigid materials symbolizes my own story. I found porcelain to be my primary medium due to its luminous characteristic, adding an element of hope to the despondency of my subject. I subscribe to the Bauhaus sensibility of combining intense relationship with the process of craft and Fine Art. Each work draws on a hard-earned expertise in the techniques of slab building, throwing, hand sculpting, metallurgy and alchemy. Mystical tension culminates from the unlikely organic mix of media combined with a nonconventional merging of artistries and a sense of movement constantly envisioned from years of professional video development.

Methods used in other cultures and eras meld with the discipline of formal art training. All of which conspire to bring these aquatic sculptures to life. I have chosen to maintain the inherent ivory coloration of porcelain in the forms to echo the bleaching that is happening to many sea organisms, and at times accompanied by black to signify the disruption they face.”

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Lenore Rae Lampi

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American artist, Lenore Rae Lampi recently exhibited sculptural work at Art Palm Beach 2020 and SOFA Chicago 2019 with Steidel Contemporary Gallery. She is scheduled to show at CONTEXT Miami, in December 2020 with Steidel Contemporary. Her bronze sculpture "Found Furls" was accepted for the Fahrenheit 2018 Biennial at the AMOCA Museum, Pomona, California.

Currently, Lenore Rae Lampi’s work can be found in the permanent collection of Tweed Museum of Art, Vermilion Community College and Cuyo University, Mendoza, Argentina, and touring in Finland. Private installations include a wall of work at the Marriott South West, Minneapolis. Several pieces of the Bling Series are on display in early September with A Way Online Art Gallery in the exhibit titled, Spectrum.

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Eleanor Swan

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What themes does your work involve?

My themes can be varied according to the particular project I am working towards, but in general they have a political narrative or are a social comment on issues that exist in our world today.

Describe your creative process.

If I make a piece of sculpture and it has meaning for me, if I possess its reason for being and can justify the thought process behind it, then I have succeeded in creating a piece of art. I begin with an open mind, I rarely make notes or drawings but when I am in the process of making, in my head I have an idea of a sequence of moves I would like to try. There is a a kind of rush when you are pulling and pushing all these angles together to articulate something and you have to hold your nerve. Its almost a game of control , trying to get it to work but then there is a moment when it begins to breath and develops a presence of its own. Its thrilling, its difficult to say how I know a work is finished, but I always know and love that moment when I down tools and stand back.

What influences your work? What inspires you? Why do you make art?

'Life' influences and inspires my work! I am not good with words and I agonise when asked to write something. But making art and the making process allows me to express myself in a deeper more meaningful way and gives me great joy.

What is good art? What makes a piece of art great?

Art is a very personal thing. No two people see a work of art in the same way but if a painting, sculpture, ceramic bowl etc can reach your soul and stir an emotional response then that is more important than anything. A favourite quote of mine is from Ann Hamilton 'The Body and the Object': "A work of art should interest the eye, excite the brain, move the mind to reflection, involve the heart and come at us from an unexpected angle and stop us short in wonder."

What is the role of the artist today?

I don't think anyone chooses to be an artist like you choose to be an accountant or a scientist. An artist is a way of being, a way of life. My earliest memories of being creative go back to the age of six. While I was always being creative in one form or another, I trained and worked as a nurse for 25 years before leaving the profession to go to art college, from that moment on I felt I could finally be 'me'. I think art it hugely underestimated for the value it has to offer in our everyday lives. It teaches us to see think differently and provides us with a way to express ourselves without constraints and rigid rules......and allows great freedom of thoughts.

Helga Palasser

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Helga Palasser is a trained sculptor from Austria who gained her diverse working experience especially by traveling to different places around the world like California, Nepal, Zimbabwe, and several European countries. One of her specialties is modelling portraits out of clay giving them a unique liveliness and familiarity that goes far beyond mere depiction. Besides this realistic approach, a strong impetus towards abstract forms characterizes her work although there is always a concrete experience in which these forms are grounded. In her recent work, Palasser focusses on the subject of interculturality and connects the process of artistic production with intercultural exchange. Her latest work in this respect was exhibited at Venice ART Biennale “Personal Structures” 2019.

Helga’s work is characterized by figurative motifs as well as abstract forms. The heavy compact material of clay is transformed into light fine shapes that could occasionally give the impression of drawings when looked at from the distance. When looked at closer, the corporal aspect of weight imposes itself without diminishing the lightness of the forms, however.

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Nathan Neufeld

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First and foremost a big Thank you to Circle foundation for continuing to provide these opportunities. I am honored to receive first place for this Artist of the Month competition.

One of the more exciting future projects I am working towards at the moment is the invention of a process. The process has 2 major parts, one a software that generates and develops ceramic formulations for clay bodies and surface treatments, such as glazes. The second is a robotic system that takes those recipes and distributes the necessary ingredients and amounts for each formulation from miniature silos. The first body of work I am envisioning to result from this process is a series of modular geometries that can come together in three dimensions, each module made of their own unique recipe. These would come together in formations that would echo the relationships between the recipes. For example, imagine the structure of a spider web. From a central formulation -- we have hundreds of strains branching out, all related in diminishing degrees to their neighbors. Now imagine this in three dimensions.

Much of my work stems from a passion for exploration. Like the author of a book you can't put down, I strive to share this sense of exploration, discovery, and revelation with to viewer and user.

To join me in my Odyssey, check out NathanNeufeld.com and follow me on Instagram @neufelddesign.

Onwards and upwards.