Evelyn Tannus

Ceramic decorator

Where tattoo culture meets ceramics

Evelyn found her creative voice by combining ceramics and painting
She aims to provoke by blending the sacred with the profane in her works
Her making process begins with sketches and photographic references

Evelyn Tannus creates ceramic pieces that double as canvases for painted narratives. She graduated in plastic arts at the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado and was mentored by Nelson Leirner, a key figure in Brazilian avant-garde art movement. Evelyn describes her adorned surfaces as tattooed, referencing the underground tattoo culture that uses ballpoint pens to inscribe expressions of identity. “Just as tattoos live on arms and hands, my pieces hold memories, stories, and the weight of permanent marks,” she says. Her other works are no less symbolic, drawing on mythology, religion, comics, ethnographic imagery and urgent global themes. Evelyn's pieces, exhibited across Brazil, the US and Europe, received awards and are recognised in major design publications.

Interview

Was there a moment you knew you were on the right path?: When I was accepted into the Bahia Modern Art Salon, with paintings rather than ceramics, it felt like a step forward. My work started gaining international visibility and was featured in a German magazine, on American websites, with a post by the Saatchi Gallery, and also in the book Art of Ceramics. In addition to this recognition, I began collaborating with shops in Brazil that sought out my work.
What feelings does your work evoke?: I feel that my work can be surprising, often due to the unexpected imagery or ironic undertones. The pieces also give a sense of rebellion and a certain mysticism. Some of them even provoke discomfort and unease, especially when I combine the sacred with the profane, as seen in some of my hand-painted works.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in ceramics?: Do not let mistakes paralyse you. Clay is an organic material – you never have full control over it. Working with ceramics is like facing the sea, it demands respect. But unlike the tides that follow the pull of the moon, clay has an unpredictable, untameable nature. Learn to have a dialogue with it.
What excites you most about the future of your creative practice?: My drive and creativity are endless. At this stage of life, with my children grown, I can dedicate myself much more fully to my work.

Evelyn Tannus is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2002