Everything begins with the sea and the earth, drawing inspiration from the colors of nature and the circle of life. Today we want to tell the story of an Italian artist and introduce her to everyone. She is Simona Leonessa and her works of art, made of stoneware and porcelain, are exclusively hand-built using the colombino and slab techniques. She designs and creates only one-off pieces that offer the chance to grab and keep a touch of the wonders of nature and its beauty. Instagram
I became conscious of my love for porcelain back when I attended the artistic high school. Unfortunately, I went a whole other direction for many years after that.
I made my very first piece in art school and it was the sculpture of a head. Then I cast it in plaster and it’s still hanging on a wall in my house.
I am thrilled about so many people appreciating and producing pottery. It’s a beautiful and direct form of expression.
I get inspired by nature and the sea, and by the faraway places I have visited during my travels around the world.
I love porcelain because it’s pure, delicate, sophisticated and resistant at the same time. It’s kind of a new material to work with for me, not easy to process, and I like the challenge it represents.
My favorite is sculpture. I am currently working on a project I really care for. I am producing self-watering vases, “le contenitrici”.
The time I spend to create a piece depends on the nature of the piece itself and the study I carry out for the initial project. Sculptures and lamps take weeks, while other pieces require quite shorter times. The names of my collections always come from the sea or the history of ancient Greece.
I think pottery is all of it. It is mainly a passion, but it is also a job that helps me cure my soul.
I don’t have much spare time but I like to go dive with my monofin as soon as I can, searching for peace and new ideas for my works.
I’d like to keep working on the development of my expressive research, with a bigger oven perhaps, and try to work on bigger pieces. I would also love to bring my art on San Pietro Island, through workshops dedicated to children and youngsters. The island is full of clay and trying to use it would be a remarkable experience.
Set free your own creativity, release your ability to transcend the ordinary. “Think outside the box”, find original and creative solutions to your problems.