the story behind Mariana’s ceramic doiles

Mariana and Celeste at our Com Fusion 2.0 gallery opening in

Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. March 2023

Mariana and I have been working on our third collaboration- Com Fusion, the second here in the states. While we worked on our collaborative work in Portugal last spring, I was also working on some of my solo work to test the waters in the EU. This time, Mariana made a small batch of her solo work here in the states. It’s a passion project that is a tribute to the women in her family, particularly her maternal grandmother, Donna Celeste.

Celeste crocheting, at her home in Golega, Portugal.

Celeste, who is 83 years young, crochets the most beautiful table cloths and doilies. While Mariana doesn’t crochet, she wanted to create something inspired by this tradition of craftsmanship that’s been passed down from generation to generation. She reinterpreted one of Celeste’s crochet patterns in clay, making an equally delicate ceramic, wall-hanging sculpture. Watching her skillfully craft these intricate designs, has been a delight. Each one takes upwards of 8 hours from start to finish, and because of their fragile gridwork, there is a high loss rate from cracking, both before and during the firing process. But when they make it through, they are the loveliest, artistic tributes you ever did see. I loved them before I knew the meaning behind them, but witnessing the love and affection Mariana shares with Celeste, makes them even more special.

She’s made a few special Donna Celeste Ceramic Doilies (she lost several in the process too), and we’re very excited to be able to share them with you as part of our collaborative drop on September 30th.

If you’d like a preview of the new collaborative work, or each of our solo projects that will be dropping on Sepetember 30th, be sure to sign up for my email list.