Biography
Fiona Salazar (b. Athens, Greece 1949) studied in London at the Central School of Art and Design (1976-1978) and the Royal College of Art where she obtained an MA in ceramics (1979-1982). A year later she was awarded a Crafts Council Setting Up Grant (1983). Her working methods often include thrown bases on which she added coils. The forms are painstakingly developed, each taking between two and three weeks to make. The distinctive effects of the terra sigillata burnished surfaces and bold sensuous, painted designs inspired by such diverse sources as South American, Early Chinese, Egyptian, Roman and Greek pottery, create highly distinctive one-off pieces. Although she mainly makes vessels she is not interested in the functional aspect of the piece but its individual character. In 1997 Salzar embarked on a new phase of work where form and decoration have become fused and pieces are more abstract and sculptural. They are inspired by nature and encapsulate movement with twisting, spiralling linear decoration. The black burnished surfaces are painted with rich yellows and ochres. They are slab built and are burnished with terra sigillata.
