Ana Wagner

Porcelain decorator

©Ana Wagner

In the service of porcelain painting

Ana has been depicting stories on porcelain for over two decades
The porcelain is hand painted or decorated using decalcomania
The objects are ennobled with precious metals like gold and platinum

Ana Wagner studied art in both high school and university and learned painting and graphic art from highly respected professors and masters, including the renowned painter Ștefan Câlția. Ana pursues the Romanian tradition of painting on ceramics in her studio, Wagner Arte, which she founded with her sister in 2005. She started with porcelain sets and other objects before extending her collections into jewellery. Ana employs the same traditional techniques of porcelain hand painting as those used by prestigious European manufacturers hundreds of years ago. All products signed by her are either hand painted or decorated using decalcomania, a technique that allows objects to be imprinted with porcelain pigment when fired at very high temperatures.

Interview

©Ana Wagner

©Ana Wagner

How is innovation present in what you do?: Through the themes I address. The images that decorate my porcelain pieces are often unusual. The way I mix hand painting with decalcomania and gold surfaces represents another form of innovation, as does the way I combine porcelain with silver or gold and precious stones in my jewellery.
Has there been a memorable moment in your career?: I am the first Romanian to participate in a design residency at Vista Alegre, the famous porcelain manufacturer in Portugal. I discovered there the most professional level of product design I have ever experienced. My task was to design decorations for porcelain objects.
What does the term 'well made' mean to you?: It refers to the respect that artisans give to the rules of a specific technique and the ability to combine it with a well-documented concept. Every decoration I make needs to have a strong and well-documented concept mixed with the perfect technique of applying the creative idea on porcelain.
Is there anything people don't always realise about your craft?: They can't imagine how much work is behind a handcrafted object. I don't refer only to the amount of hours spent for its actual production, but to those many years of perfecting the technique. Experimenting and exploring all the facets of a craft for years and years leads to a perfect, beautiful object.

Ana Wagner is a master artisan: she began her career in 2001 and she started teaching in 2007