A Tale Of Perfect Imperfection: Ceramicist Laura Pasquino On Her Raw Yet Soothing Sculptural Works

Pasquino found her love for ceramics on a trip to Japan, where she discovered the allure of simplicity and the beauty of handcrafted objects. Drawn to the endless potential of clay, she took up the craft as an outlet for creative expression. Slowly, she filled up her shelves with handmade pots and eventually left a career in hospitality to transition her passion into a full-time studio. Now a thriving ceramicist, today, Pasquino seeks the sensual simplicity she first encountered in the land of the rising sun, exploring the materiality and physicality of clay to create decorative pieces that feel timeless yet unexpected, all at once. 
“I aim to create works that do not stand out for their color or ornamental quality but rather for their raw materiality”
Harkening back to ancient traditions, her works—mostly spherical vessels and vases—are inspired by archaeological finds, the organic irregularities of rock formations, and her ongoing interest in the making process. Featuring flaws and cracks, Pasquino’s curvaceous pieces emphasize the imperfection and asymmetry that defines them, highlighting their allusion to nature through earthy colors and textures. Kept raw and somewhat primitive, they are nostalgic and poetic, conveying an unobtrusive, quiet beauty and spontaneity, much appreciated in today’s design world. The result of a slow and exacting process—from hand-building to glazing—the pieces are all one-off and exquisitely intricate, inviting the viewer to look at them repeatedly. Elegant and with a continued capacity to surprise, they question the function and delicacy of the material while exhibiting the artist’s boundless desire to understand and elevate the craft.