Stefania Zagli

Porcelain decorator

The emotion behind painted porcelain

Stefania carries on an ancient Tuscan tradition now in crisis
She turned her hand to porcelain decoration while working at Richard Ginori
She specialises in the ‘third fire’ technique

Stefania Zagli gets emotional talking about her craft, and you can hear it in her voice. The words she uses do not seem sufficient to describe the magic hidden behind this craft. When she was studying art she never thought she would become a decorator, but evidently fate thought otherwise. After finishing her art studies Stefania came into contact with the art of porcelain decoration by chance, but in a short space of time it became a passion. The turning point for Stefania was winning a contest to attend a porcelain decoration course at the Richard Ginori factory (now renamed Ginori 1735) that allowed her to explore the world of porcelain in more depth. Today Stefania is an independent craftswoman driven to produce unique and special objects by imagination and creativity.

Interview

How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: My training is extremely traditional and I am very proud of that. In recent years I have opened up to new techniques that allow me to make my creations a little more modern and unique. I am currently learning the technique of decorating with metals such as gold and platinum and the technique of relief and excavation.
Which phase of your work do you consider most difficult?: The design of the decoration is a very difficult phase but one of my favourites because it allows me to free my imagination. I take inspiration from the world of nature and art, then I sketch a decoration and adapt it to the porcelain medium. It is extremely important that the design harmonises with the support and this part sometimes takes a long time.
What aspect of your work surprises people?: The colours I use are powders made of minerals that fuse with the vitreous coating of the porcelain and become one with it during firing. The decoration which before firing could easily have been removed, magically becomes indelible, unalterable over time and very resistant thanks to the firing.
How is your profession linked to the place you come from?: My work is completely linked to my origins. I started my craft in Tuscany when the Ginori tradition was still strong. Unfortunately today ceramic manufacturers have changed and they no longer aim at the uniqueness of the product or the quality of a handmade object. This trend has damaged the distinction of items Made in Italy, but we artisans do not give up. We are ready to create a more humane future.

Stefania Zagli is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1996