Contemporary Ceramics in Venice at Palazzo Venart

On the occasion of the exhibition at Palazzo Venart for Homo Faber in Città, eight artists shared their experiences of creating contemporary ceramics in Venice today

Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel is committed to art and craftsmanship, expressed annually through exhibitions and events that promote and support artists and creatives. For Homo Faber in Città, an exhibition created a dialogue between the historic ceramics found at the Palace and the contemporary visions of eight of the most interesting Venetian ceramicists: Gaetano Di Gregorio, Chiara Graciotti, Daniela Levera, Adele Stefanelli, Valentina Stocco, SVO Ceramics, and the duo The Freaky Raku.

Curated by Gaetano Di Gregorio in collaboration with Venezia da Vivere, the exhibition was an expression of ceramic making in Venice today, a city that over the centuries has produced ceramic and porcelain creations of the highest artistic value.

Making Ceramics in Venice Today

In this project, the ceramicists’ works are characterized by the use of materials and clay gathered from the lagoon, experimentation with novel techniques, and international expertise. The thread connecting the eight artists, and Venetian ceramicists in general, is the collaboration and sharing of knowledge, which primarily takes place within the Venetian association I Bochaleri.

Ceramics represent a deep bond between Venice and its history, and today we see the development of a contemporary artisanal tradition in continuous bloom, thanks also to a fertile and collaborative environment. Through masters, collectives, and public events, the city attracts young artists and creatives from all over the world to the field of ceramics, stimulating them to engage with historical heritage while developing new techniques and artistic expressions.

The exhibition was commissioned by
Palazzo Venart Luxury Hotel
Calle Tron 1961, Santa Croce, Venice
info.venart@ldchotels.com or +39 041 5233784

The Artists and Their Works

Chiara Graciotti, with her project Tiles of Venice, offers an interpretation of ceramics linked to the city itself. Her porcelain tiles reproduce the geometric patterns of Venetian floors, establishing a direct connection with the city’s architecture. The hand-impression technique allows Chiara to capture the essence of historic sites such as the Ca’ d’Oro and the church of San Giacomo di Rialto. Each piece can be used as a furnishing accessory or an artistic element, blending functionality and beauty. The choice of Parian porcelain, characterized by translucency and a marble-like consistency, allows for the fusion of Venetian tradition with a new vision of design.

Daniela Levera, originally from Chile and a Design graduate from IUAV in Venice, perfected her ceramic techniques at the Faenza art school, a world-class center of excellence where she currently teaches and where she developed an artistic language combining functionality and creativity. In her Venice laboratory, Daniela experiments continuously, creating unique works that reflect her Chilean roots and Venetian aesthetics. Her commitment to the association I Bochaleri is to actively promote ceramics in Venice and worldwide, passing on traditional and innovative techniques to keep this art form alive and evolving.

Adele Stefanelli, inspired by Oriental ceramics and Chinese and Korean collections from the Song period, undertook a long journey through Asia to learn local techniques, which she then combined with Venetian culture. Her studio on Giudecca is now the place where the balance between Oriental minimalism and contemporary creativity takes shape, giving life to pieces that express a personal synthesis of the two traditions.

Valentina Stocco studied and worked in London, where she specialized in wheel-throwing and high-temperature firing. In Venice, together with the goldsmith with whom she shares a studio, she is the face of the Homo Faber in Città project. For her creations, she uses clay gathered from the Lagoon, shells, and natural elements. Her works, especially her glazes, evoke the textures and colors of the city. Alongside her artistic work, Valentina teaches, passing on traditional and innovative techniques to new generations of artists.

SVO Ceramics, the project by Nadia Saponaro, was born from a passion for art discovered during a trip to Andalusia. There, at an atelier in Cádiz, Nadia learned the art of ceramics. In her atelier in Murano, near an ancient ceramic production area, she creates unique pieces and everyday objects. Her ceramics combine form and color, becoming part of the daily life of those who use them.

The duo The Freaky Raku, composed of Zaira Zarotti and Francesco Pettenà, presents the project Flora Transitoria, a fusion of ceramics and photography with a strong influence from the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. Using clay collected directly from the lagoon, they create pieces that reflect the lagoon landscape and its constantly changing nature. The raku technique, with its characteristic crackles, gives the works a unique aesthetic that recalls antiquity and transience. Flora Transitoria is a reflection on the fragility of the lagoon ecosystem, celebrating nature and time through the art of ceramics.

Gaetano Di Gregorio, an architect born in Caltagirone—a land with a long ceramic tradition—developed his artistic career in Venice. His works explore the boundary between design and ceramics, combining the solidity of Venetian architecture with the fluidity of the ceramic material. His commitment to promoting ceramics in unconventional contexts is developed through the association Spiazzi, which he founded, creating interdisciplinary projects involving artists and artisans.

The Long History of Venetian Ceramics

Despite the dominance of glass, ceramics have always played a fundamental role in Venetian craftsmanship. Since the Middle Ages, thanks to intense exchanges with the East, Venetian ceramic productions stood out for their refinement, enriched by techniques such as majolica and metallic luster.

As a crossroads of cultures and trade, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Mediterranean influences fused deeply in Venice. Venetian ceramics are the result of centuries of cross-pollination of materials, styles, and knowledge from different worlds, reflecting the complexity and richness of these exchanges.

During the Renaissance, Venetian ceramics reached extraordinary elegance, with intricate decorations adorning objects destined for the nobility and international trade, often given as gifts for celebrations such as engagements and weddings. These decorations, depicting mythological figures, animals, or geometric motifs, were symbols of prestige and reflected the high social status of their owners.