FLIGHT OF FANCY
Elena Salmistraro creates playful designs that embrace her passion for ceramics
A visit to Elena Salmistraro’s colourful studio feels akin to travelling into a parallel world full of wonder and whimsy. From anthropomorphic figures to vases in the shapes of fantastic beasts, her oeuvre encompasses a vibrant array of ceramics, furniture, and accessories. Her distinctive aesthetic has made her soughtafter as an artist, a curator and as a product designer. During our visit to her studio in Milan, she talked us through her two biggest passions: drawing and ceramics.
What sparked your interest in ceramics?
After some brief stints with design studios, I felt the need to challenge myself with a more solid material. I took ceramic courses at the Cova School in Milan, and I started modelling vases and an infinite number of useless objects that helped me to understand the secrets and potential of this material. I also bought a small oven that I still have in the studio.
How did you turn your passion for ceramics into a career?
My formal experiments allowed me to be selected as part of an exhibition at Superstudio during Milan Design Week in 2012. I presented conceptual objects made with the materials I knew best, and above all, are completely handmade. These caught the attention of Andrea Branzi and Silvana Annicchiarico who selected me for The New Italian Design exhibition. After that, I started collaborating with companies like Bosa Ceramiche. It has been a dream come true. With these brands, I can bring my knowledge of ceramics to a higher level, while having fun and trying to create something new and fascinating.
Tell us more about how your drawings shape your design process.
I draw continuously; I’ve always done it and I couldn’t do without it. I know how to tell a story with a drawing and to load it with positivity and joy. The dialogue between two-dimensional designs and three-dimensional objects is something that fascinates me very much.
Recently, I realised that I have been drawing a character that looks like me, and I confess that has been a kind of a shock, as I would never want my ego to take over my alter ego. Another recurrent element in my drawings is a big eye—it represents my grandfather, perhaps the person I love the most in my life.