María Cecilia Pagliari

Taller Crecer

Ceramicist

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Surrounding us with beauty

María Cecilia likes unconventional ceramic forms
Freedom is what she likes most about her profession
Research and observation are fundamental to her

María Cecilia Pagliari was trained at the School of Arts and Crafts of UTU with mentors Mariana Soler and Beatriz Cabezas. Her interest in craftsmanship arose in adolescence. "I did not want to have a regular job, I wanted my life to be entwined with art," says María Cecilia. At 17, she applied to the Mercado de Los Artesanos, an Uruguayan association that brings together local artisans, and was accepted. "In those days I did not work with ceramics, but I made some cloth dolls that were good enough to get me in," she says. María Cecilia discovered ceramics there. "I feel I have total freedom to do whatever I want. Working with clay is like entering a magical world where you can give shape to the ideas you have in your head." She combines her creative production with teaching.

Interview

How do everyday life and your craft relate to each other?
Ceramics are closely related to daily life. I usually tell my students that once you get into ceramics, you cannot get out of it. You fall in love with the craft. Ceramics are present in everything we do, especially nowadays when we try to live in a healthier way.
Why do your pieces tend to have such distinctive shapes?
I am passionate about transforming shapes. I love that things go through my subjectivity. If I am going to make a pitcher, I want it to be my pitcher. I try to change its shape and make it an unconventional piece. With the form I find the vehicle to express myself.
Is your approach more utilitarian or aesthetic?
Making utilitarian objects is not at odds with art and sensibility. Precisely because it is a piece with which we are going to interact frequently, I believe that surrounding ourselves with beautiful things is very important. This makes us feel good, and feeling good is a quest in itself.
Are you thinking of exploring other materials?
I am researching other areas. I am working a lot with glass and looking for both ceramic and glass to meet. It is something for which I am still at the research stage, but that I am very passionate about. Glass connects very well with ceramics.

María Cecilia Pagliari is a master artisan: she began her career in 1991 and she started teaching in 2010