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Mara Funghi
I
was born in 1962 in Sorano, a small Medieval village in southern
Tuscany. I deeply feel my Etruscan origin, I am proud of.
I grew up in this tufaceus territory, characterized by Etruscan
tombs, findings and excavations.
I have been caught by Etruscan terracotta called Bucchero: the black,
thin and perfect terracotta wich dates back to over three thousand
years ago and I always guessed how they could make such beatiful
things with the poor means they had at that time!
When I was eighteen I began to attend a ceramics shop-floor in Sorano,
where I started working quite for fun. So I could experiment the
ancient technique for baking Bucchero, untill I came to meet the
Japanese technique called RAKU. |
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At
Capri, with Nino Caruso, I discovered the charm of RAKU: the magic
transformations, the brisk fire, the smoke, the enthusiasm for the
result. I travelled across Italy, Venice and Turin, where I worked
and studied and then Amsterdam, where I lived four intense years,
knowing ceramists and new techniques and also improving my skills
on RAKU.
I came back to Italy, in Sorano, because I was lacking space and
horizons to grow up my fantasy.
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My work
My
pieces are totally hand made, without use of lathe, and I follow
throughout the piece's flow, from the very beginning till the end.
Only in this way I own it and I can associate it to a unique moment,
to a particular mood.
I work clay and other materials from my land: wood, stone, tuff;
even the colours of my glaze refer to my land: skyblues, meadow
greens, ploughed field orange-browns, sunset reds.
Baking is the most exciting moment, RAKU means joy, delight and
to me it is really this way.
Every time it is about organization, both a practical and spiritual
rite, wich are to be lived alone or shared with others.
This drives energy and allows me to transmit the same feeling to
those who stay by me.
Each piece is singularly baked, extracted from the white-hot kiln,
smoked in plein-air covered with straw and quickly plunged into
cold water.....all in a speed. During the very short time the piece
gets so many transformations and I have to block it at that one
wich most satisfies my taste.
This is why each piece is unique and unrepeteable.
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Ceramics and holidays in Tuscany
In Sorano, one
of the most charming places in Alta Maremma, rich of archeology,
near to the sea (Capalbio, Monte Argentario), Lake of Bolsena,
Thermae of Saturnia and Medieval villages of Sorano and Sovana,
Mara Funghi organizes and runs courses
teaching both hand made and lathe clay crafts, with different
baking techniques (RAKU, Naked Raku, Bucchero and Pit-fire).
Laboratorio
"Podere Piancasale"
Localitą Pianetto
58010 Sorano - GR
ITALY
Info courses: Tel + 39 339 3514359
marafunghi@virgilio.it
Info accomadation: Tel + 39 0564 633665
Mobile Tel + 39 347 3505230 www.piancasale.com
Program courses
2010
from 17/06 through 26/06
from 27/06 through 06/07
from 08/07 through 17/07
from 19/07 through 28/07 |
Fees
- 480,00 €
stage + tools and materials.
- 30,00 € per day accomodation.
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from 30/07 through 08/08
from 10/08 through 19/08
from 01/09 through 10/09
from 12/09 through 21/09
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Corso di scultura
with Federico Della Bina
from 21 to 28 August
2010
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Ceramics on New Year's Eve"
from 28/12/2010 through 03/01/2011
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Exhibitions
December
1999 - Orvieto - Chiostro di San Giovanni
April 2000 - Orvieto - Bottega d'Arte "Storie di
terre"
June 2000 - Inverigo - Circolo Culturale Toguną
April 2001 - Orvieto - Bottega d'Arte "Storie di
terre"
September 2001 - Fatti d'argilla / Made in Clay
Fondazione per il museo "Claudio Faina" Orvieto
October 2001 - Tarquinia Societą Tarquiniense
d'Arte e Storia.
To contact the Artist
Piazza
della Chiesa, 11
58010 SORANO - GR - Italy
Tel + 39 339 3514359
Fax +39 0564 633143
marafunghi@virgilio.it |
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