Introducing Elena Rubiu
Who are you? Plug your social media and/or shop!
I am Elena Rubiu, from Sardinia (Italy), mum of two and recently graduated with a M.Sc. in Technical Biology. The past challenging years have directed me towards a strong career change and I am striving to become a professional potter. I am @creative_nenna and @nibaruceramics on IG. My website is https://elenarubiuceramics.myshopify.com/ (still working on it).
Share one pottery goal you have for 2022.
Throw consistent cylinders and bowls, and learn to throw bigger pieces.
What sparked your love affair with clay?
When I was 4 years old my mum brought me to a crafts fair in my hometown. There was a potter with his wheel and he let me hold the clay while making the wheel spin. I was thunderstruck. This is a core memory of mine and since then I have been in love with clay and I've always been longing to learn how to throw. During the pandemic I suffered from depression and anxiety and my at home daily handbuilding practice was a very important part of my recovery. I took my first throwing course at Sunken Studio exactly a year ago, so I am celebrating!
Has a pot ever broken your heart?
Yes, a beautiful jug I had been hand building while isolating because of COVID. I had decorated it with leaves from my garden which I used as resist with slip. The jug cracked all the way down while drying.
What are your favourite and least favourite parts of the pottery process?
Favourite: decorating my creations with colourful slips, intricate sgraffito, mono printing, slip inlay, underglaze pencils, and so on. The more decorating techniques, the better!
Least favourite: cleaning the wheel!
How have any of your other hobbies/interests influenced your work?
I am a food lover and I love baking. You can often see food or kitchen related motifs in my work as these images give me a sense of warmth and stability.
Another recurring element is nature, with botanical elements and the sea being the protagonists. This is connected to my love for hiking and observing nature, as well as my love for the Sardinian Sea near which I grew up.
Tell us about an artist/ceramicist you look up to.
Emily Taylor and Daphne Christoforou are by far my favourites, blending decorative techniques with an interesting socio-anthropological narrative.
Describe your relationship with clay in one word.
Addictive.
Finally, can you recommend a podcast/book or something you’ve watched that has inspired you recently?
A book, Pottery form by Daniel Rhodes. I've been reading it during the period in which I had started realising I wanted to dedicate my life to pottery. It impressed me the way the book picked my messy thoughts and feelings one by one and laid them out neatly, in a very well written manner, and clearly explained them to me. Certainly an eye (and heart) opener.
