MARTA BONILLA

Marta Bonilla was 34 years old and dedicated he was dedicated to the education sector when her attraction to art and decoration pushed her to sign up for a ceramics course. "I needed to get out of the routine and the marked schedules. The mud caught my eye and I was curious to produce the objects around me at home. It was trying and becomes obsessed with the material."
 
From then on his life took a turn to become his main activity. At first he combined his work in classrooms and production, until two years later he decided to make the leap. "I knew that if I didn't spend more time with him, some things weren't going to happen. I asked for a leave of absence and thought: let's try it. It wasn't an easy decision, pottery was an unstable and risky sector." He immersed himself fully in the material with the mission of polishing technique and style when the opportunity came. "I started working at Cobalto Studio, with which I would later make my first collaborations with a well-known fashion chain. For a year now I have been in my own workshop in Gracia (Barcelona)".
 
Its classic and functional pieces are characterized by an elegant, sober and timeless design. Committed to the maximum of less is more; seeks to combine functionality and design, to cover a real need of day to day without discrediting its aesthetic character. "My goal is to produce decorative pieces without leaving aside their main function," he says. His designs from mud and different enamels were evolved organically from vases and fruit trees to lamps and murals. They claim their tradition and craftsmanship creations while breathing simplicity and minimalism.
 
"I feel very connected to nature and a simpler lifestyle. I tend to look for that form of evasion. I've always been attracted to the traditional: the steed and the most folkloric pieces," he adds. In the soul of his creations we find the influence of 1940s ceramists, "I really like the work of Valentine Schelegel or Salvatore Glume, the way they used enamels is wonderful." He confesses his innate admiration for artistic currents such as surrealism and Cubism "among my references I would point out Joan Miró's murals or Picasso's work".
 
Marta explains that when it comes to producing she does not pursue a perfect aesthetic or a pristine finish. "I seek to appreciate your hand in ceramics, not something perfect, rather I refuse from it. Of course the piece must be well made, but without abandoning naturalness." Maybe that's why he's part of improvisation and chance. "You can start from a very clear idea that you've visualized before, something that has inspired you. But the moment you start working, you never know. The result may be that image or something totally different, but it works"