In what way does your work reflect the traditions of Faenza?
At first, I tried to move as far away as possible from the classic Faenza ceramics. Then I discovered the extraordinary creations of the great masters of the 20th century: Pietro Melandri, Carlo Zauli, Riccardo Gatti. In a way, I brought their work into mine.
Not only metaphorically speaking....
Exactly. Part of my production consists of taking existing pieces, which I find in antiques markets, and transforming them by adding something of my own. It can be the figurine of a young lady being swallowed by a dragon, or more abstract designs.
© Filippo Bamberghi
You are not scared of using the word 'kitsch'.
I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts with a final essay on kitsch, and I immediately tried to merge this point of view with ceramics. My first work was a figurine depicting a self-portrait of myself wearing a Hawaiian shirt, representing the stereotype of the average tourist.
Poised between craft and art, how would you define yourself?
A researcher of shapes. I like to start with a commonplace shape and arrive at something unexpected. The moment I love most in my craft is when I sit in my studio, hands in the clay, with an audiobook in the background to help me immerse myself into wonderful stories while I create.