Clara Holt Reimagines Ancient Myths and Decorative Traditions in Vivid Ceramic Vessels
Drawing on the long history of Mediterranean ceramics, Italian artist Clara Holt covers the surfaces of vessels, tiles, and tablets with playful, colorful narratives. Inspired by the region's ancient decorative pottery like the Minoan octopus flask or Greek and Etruscan vase painting, she illustrates references to mythology, nature, customs, and folklore.
意大利艺术家克拉拉·霍尔特从历史悠久的地中海陶瓷中获得借鉴，在容器、瓷砖和装饰板上创作出趣味盎然、丰富多彩的故事。在该地区古代装饰陶器——如米诺斯章鱼瓶或希腊、伊特鲁里亚花瓶绘画的启发下，她绘制出一幅来自神话、自然、习俗和民间传说的画卷。
As a child, Holt's grandparents told stories of Greek heroes and monsters, and she devoured books about the ancient gods and legends. “Mythology fascinated me because it was like a bridge that could connect our present with a dimension far away in time —— a time so far away that it could only be told with a dose of fantastic storytelling.” she says. As she grew older, her interests expanded to Nordic lore and the Old Norse sagas. Today, she borrows imagery and motifs from the timeless tales, recontextualizing them into mysterious narratives.
小时候，霍尔特经常听祖父母讲起那些希腊英雄和怪物的故事，如饥似渴地阅读有关古代神灵和传说的书籍。她说：“神话让我着迷，它就像一座桥梁，将现在与遥远的时间维度连接起来——而这段遥远的距离，只有神话才能企及。”随着年龄增长，她的兴趣延伸到北欧挪威的古老传说。今天，她提取了这些永不过时的故事中的意象和主题，让它们在神秘的叙事中再次鲜活起来。
Employing a traditional Italian pottery decoration technique called sgraffito, meaning “scratched”, Holt carefully incises shallow cuts out of the smooth surface of a glazed pot, revealing the outlines of figures, animals, plants, and landscapes. In her series Terracotta Blues, the characters exist within an undefined story that circle around tall earthenware vases, creating“dreamlike scenes and imaginary characters that leave room for interpretation.”
霍尔特采用了一种称为“彩釉刮除法（sgraffito）”的传统意大利陶器装饰工艺，即在光滑的釉面刻画出浅切口，以陶器的本色构建出人物、动物、植物和风景的轮廓。她的系列作品《蓝色赤陶》（Terracotta Blues）中，人物游走于陶器表面充满想象空间的故事画面里，创造出“梦幻般的场景和虚构的人物，给人留下了诠释的空间”。
In addition to pots and vases, Holt makes two-dimensional ceramic tiles and panels, and she is currently preparing a new series for an exhibition in Iceland in June. Find more work on her website where she also has pieces available her inher shop, and follow updates on Instagram.
除了陶罐花瓶，霍尔特还制作了瓷砖和装饰板，目前正在为6月份冰岛的展览准备一系列新的作品。可在她的网站和个人商店找到更多作品，也可以关注Instagram上的更新。
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