Sandra Davolio

Danish style with Italian flair

• Born in Italy, Sandra moved to Denmark in 1974
• Exhibiting in New York in 2008 was a career turning point
• It takes her up to two months to complete a piece

Her studio is silent, only the rustling of nature outside interacts with her concentrated, creative mind. Sandra Davolio is a very private person. She likes to work by herself, immersed in a world of beauty, strength and frailty: this is how she sees the world of ceramics. Based in Copenhagen since the 70s, her pieces express a Scandinavian vibe yet also display an undertone of audacity. “I was always considered an outsider in the Danish minimalism movement,” she explains. “In my objects there is always something more vivid, wild, intense. This is my Italian side.”

Interview

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

Is it true you took up this craft by chance?

I was in Copenhagen studying at university. One night I ended up in a centre for Chilean refugees and I attended a ceramics workshop. I instantly fell in love. A few years after I found the courage to apply to the Danish School of Design. Those were five wonderful years.

How do you reinterpret classic shapes?

I always start with a classical vase. I then develop it into new forms through a series of fragile and jagged lamellae spiralised around the core, which I consider 'naked', demanding protection. I am driven by the continuous exploration of basic form variations.

What kind of porcelain do you use?

In my career I have embraced all sort of materials, experimenting with glazes and with different firings. But lately I have been focusing on paper porcelain. It’s extremely fragile and can be ruined during firing. But it’s worth the risk.

A phone call in 2008 changed your life. How?

It was Mr Lohmann from the J. Lohmann Gallery in New York. He saw one of my works in Venice and invited me to Manhattan. My first exhibition there was astounding. I have never seen anything like it. Visitors would stop in front of an artwork and buy it without even asking for the price.

Sandra Davolio is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1986

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