Katia Carletti
South Australia-based Katia Carletti juggles her ceramic practice with the demands of motherhood – grasping snippets of time to create her beautiful organic ceramic pieces, inspired by the natural environment.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Melissa Boulden & Katia Carletti
A selection of Katia Carletti's earth toned organic vessels. Photo: Katia Carletti
‘There’s nothing like being the mum of small children to give you laser focus and the capacity to squeeze the most out of the smallest amount of time!’ says Katia Carletti. Photo: Melissa Boulden
‘I grew up in a very creative house, with both my parents being art teachers. They always encouraged me to explore any kind of art project I wanted.’ Photo: Katia Carletti
Ceramic artist Katia Carletti was raised in a household where art and creativity was nurtured and encouraged. As the daughter of two art teachers, art supplies were at her fingertips, as was the complete freedom to explore and create.
‘There was always paint, collage materials, clay, paper making, drawing supplies, fabric… having all of these materials around, and parents who are so great at tailoring activities for children, meant that my understanding of art and its interweaving in daily life is very imbedded in my mind,’ shares Katia.
After studying at art school and experimenting with painting, Katia felt the medium wasn’t the best fit. ‘I always felt very emotionally tired after a painting session, and also struggled to find my place in that realm,’ she says.
Katia’s foray into ceramics began after art school, where she started exploring clay, creating small pieces to sell in local stores and at markets alongside vintage clothes. ‘After a while, the clay overtook everything else. I found it so calming, and so expansive. There are endless possibilities, and at the same time, it also feels good to make the same thing over and over again.’
Today, Katia creates ceramics which she sells online and through stockists, all made from her studio in Adelaide, in South Australia. The mother of two young boys, she leans into any spare time she can find to work in her studio. ‘If I find 15 minutes, an hour, any time at all, at some point in the day, I will use it. There’s nothing like being the mum of small children to give you laser focus and the capacity to squeeze the most out of the smallest amount of time!’ she says.
Katia’s pieces are all hand-built, applying the pinching technique to her process where she shapes and forms a piece using a pinching motion with her fingers. ‘The pinched nature of the clay lends itself to rounded, soft shapes. Often I juxtapose these with straight, carved lines into the surface of the form. I look for a balance between the form and negative space, and how it sits in the hand or on a table.’
Katia is drawn to shapes and patterns in nature, often inspired by walks she takes in the countryside with her boys – the forms and patterns found in gum nuts, leaves and toadstools are often mirrored in her work.
A self-confessed introvert, the rhythm and flow of Katia’s studio days are considered, focused on making pieces that are not only beautiful to look at, but are also functional, ‘I love the quiet meditation of the clay; the repetition, the slowness. I also enjoy that the finished work is relatively unfussy - I’m a practical person and making cups and vases that serve a purpose within the home suits me.’
Whatever she does, creativity is ever present in Katia’s everyday, ‘It doesn’t necessarily have to be pottery – I think that creativity can be applied to all areas of life. I love to cook, and garden, and make patchwork quilts. Sometimes the only “creative” thing I might manage in a day is a loaf of sourdough and brewing the next batch of kombucha, made alongside my kids, but I make do.’
‘I find it [clay] so calming, and so expansive. There are endless possibilities, and at the same time, it also feels good to make the same thing over and over again.’ Photo: Melissa Boulden
‘I love the quiet meditation of the clay; the repetition, the slowness.’ Photo: Katia Carletti
“I’ve always been a creative person, I think the drive is just always there. I feel a bit lost if I don’t make things.”
‘ Having all of these materials around, and parents who are so great at tailoring activities for children, meant that my understanding of art and its interweaving in daily life is very imbedded in my mind.’ Photo: Melissa Boulden
A selection of Katia Carletti's organic vessels. Photo: Katia Carletti