When making her ceramic vessels, Italian ceramist and illustrator Clara Holt leans on the tradition of pottery in her native country as well as ancient ways of decorating and clay shaping. As a result, her works turn into these impressive mythology-inspired vessels that look great and practical.
According to Holt, she always liked myths and folklore stories and used to read them a lot when she was young. She later started researching mythology further and ended up combining it with her passion for pottery.
“I have always had a passion for classical literature, Greek epics, and the surrealist current, which guides my research and personal interpretation of my subjects,” Holt shares on her website. “Each piece is a one-off, illustrated with a drawing inspired by places, mythology, or childhood stories.”
While Holt combines several techniques, her favorite one is sgraffito. Popularized in Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries, sgraffito includes covering an unfired ceramic body with glaze or color and then scraping it off in order to create contrasting images, patterns, or lettering. Besides making pots, vases, and other vessels, Holt applies her unique style to handmade ceramic tiles.
Holt frequently shares her newest creations on social media. Continue scrolling to check out more of them.
