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About Me

STATEMENT

The work often begins without a plan, just the medium and me,

in quiet dialogue. It unfolds in its own rhythm: slow starts and sudden arrivals. I’m still learning to follow its lead.

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Each series comes to tell me something, to explain me to myself.

After years of making, I can begin to see the body of it. Some parts feel pliable, softened by memory; others carry the weight of heavier truths. There are folds and cracks where stories have settled and

edges defined by transformation and resilience.

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My work lives at the intersection of quirky and contemplative—figurative forms that borrow from the past while being distinctly modern. Themes of secrecy, grief, perseverance, and triumph
return again and again, striking a delicate balance between strength
and fragility.

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Small Works Show, 440 Gallery, 2011

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17th century medieval forge turned clay studio

Makers & Thinkers Residency

MONTMORILLON, FRANCE | SUMMER 2023

Summer 2023 brought an incredible opportunity for me to begin a new body of work. For two weeks, I lived and worked in the 17th-century village of Montmorillion, France in a studio that was once a medieval forge. This unique residency program had me digging up wild clay near the edge of a small lake, sifting and refining it by hand, and finally wood firing the pieces on a magical, blustery, Autumn-like day. The reduction firing infused the clay surface with carbon-staining and ashy goodness, creating a rich ancient texture. 

Get in Touch

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@pmdesigns_ceramics

© Phaedra Mastrocola 2025

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