Artist statement

 

I like to think of what I do as sewing with clay. The thin slabs of clay are the fabric, which I cut into threads to build structures full of seams, very much like a seamstress working at her mannequin.

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Paperclay gives me the possibility to defy the laws of physics and push my pieces to the limit, using the least possible support, and the least amount of clay. It amazes me every time how little is necessary to create volume. The colour helps define the pattern and adds drama to the composition. For a brief period of time, my pieces stand proud and symmetric, ready to face the kiln, which will make them more humble and do its magic to give them movement and flow. The light will do the rest, printing on the wall a net of shadows trying to escape from the seams.

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Sewing with clay. A whole revelation to see how my childhood games between scraps of fabric, pins, and scissors have shaped my artistic expression. I find joy in the creative process, the fact that from a formless lump of clay I can build something original and meaningful that was not there before, or better still, it was already there, just waiting to become 3D.

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Cristina Mato