Anna Airoldi’s ceramic practice begins with objects that already carry a history.
After studying art history, she assembled a collection of folk art from Latin European countries, developing a close relationship with vernacular forms and objects shaped by traditional craftsmanship. Later trained in ceramics at École Duperré in Paris, she began to reinterpret this collection through clay, translating inherited forms into a contemporary material language.
Central to her research is the incorporation of volcanic rock into plastic clay. The resulting hybrid material is deliberately less docile: exposed to high temperatures, it melts, shifts and deforms, allowing the firing process to leave visible traces on the object. Rather than seeking complete control, Airoldi allows heat and matter to participate in determining the final form.
Her ceramics thus carry two temporalities at once. They evoke an artisanal heritage transmitted through familiar forms while bearing the physical evidence of extreme heat — suggesting geological transformation and an earth itself under pressure.
Selected exhibitions with SM Bureau
Silent Structures, Paris, 2026
Quiet Forces, Paris, 2025
Available works upon request.
