2023-11-20 20:52:00
Despite having entered the world of ceramics and design a few years ago, Alice Aroeira has stood out for her sophisticated and delicate work. Born in Rio de Janeiro and trained in Industrial Design, she found her way into this field almost by chance. But the connection that Alice felt with the land, with manual craftsmanship and with the history of the technique is admirable.
Since its debut, its name has appeared in fairs and specialized publications, in addition to being part of the curation of Brazilian designers at Artsoul Design. To better understand her trajectory, influences and sources of inspiration, we spoke with Alice Aroeira, who kindly shared the details of her journey and the concepts that guide her artistic expression.
Alice’s interest in art, culture and creativity has roots that are difficult to date. Coming from a family of artists, the designer grew up amidst diverse creative stimuli. “I have always had contact with art. My father is a cartoonist, a caricaturist, and my mother is an animator, an animation producer. We invented a lot of games to stimulate creativity. I took their leftover materials and created various things: collages, cutouts, drawings, clay sculptures,” she recalls.
I have always had contact with art, my parents are artists and we invented a lot of games to stimulate creativity.
This atmosphere helped Alice shape her ability to express herself from an early age. When it came time to chart her professional destiny, she looked for something that would fuel her creative flame. That was when the idea came to study Industrial Design at PUC-Rio, with a focus on fashion. For more than a decade, Alice followed this path without much questioning. “I was very sure that I would work in fashion. But today, I think the only certainty we have is that it will not last. I think we are multiple beings. We discover this and also have the courage to be multiple. Which is great, right?” comments the designer.
Alice’s path began to change when she received a special gift from a friend: an introduction to ceramics. The classes, started in 2017, had a therapeutic purpose. However, the contact with the land, the sculptures and the ancestral practices associated with the technique immediately captivated Alice.
The pieces resulting from these classes found a home in Alice’s clothing brand store, where they were purchased by different customers. With the arrival of the pandemic, what started as a temporary passion became consolidated as a profession. “And then 2020 arrived. I got pregnant and the pandemic came. My son was born in the first week of lockdown, we were all stuck at home. That was the key turning point for me. I went back to working with ceramics at home and started creating larger sculptures, which led me to this other phase of production. Everything was flowing very organically, very quickly. And I had the courage to end this fashion cycle. It was liberating because that was no longer my path”, he adds. Since then, Alice Aroeira has dedicated herself to different design creations using ceramics.
“The time of ceramics is unique. There’s no point in wanting to set our own pace. You have to be aware of this process of material temporality”
Still on the creative method, the powerful feelings that connect Alice to this practice become quite clear. More than a simple occupation, ceramics seems to intertwine with other domains, incorporating the designer’s procedures and reflections. “Ceramics is there, in our history, I think about it a lot, about how women performed essential work in agriculture, developing pieces and perfecting tools with natural elements. Pottery is ancient. I feel a deep connection when I’m there, molding a piece. I am transported to another place, a space of peace, connection and calm”, says Alice.
The emotional connection is even more evident when she explains the creation step by step. “Each phase requires a lot of care, a lot of attention, as the piece is completely transformed. It starts out soft, in a plastic state, then becomes the so-called ‘bone state’, completely hard. There is a whole method for the transition from one state to another, you have to be calm to avoid cracks. Afterwards, the piece goes through the first firing, called ‘biscuit’, and is then glazed and goes to the final firing”, explains the designer.
This entire saga, from the sketch until the piece dries completely, can take around 1 month. Thus, the space of calm and relaxation, so highlighted by Alice when reflecting on the practice, is fundamental, as it is part of the very essence of ceramics. “The time of ceramics is unique. There’s no point in wanting to set our own pace. You have to be aware of this process of the temporality of the material”, she adds.
When going behind the scenes, it is natural to identify with his pieces, such as those from the “Híbridos” series, part of the Artsoul design catalog. With organic shapes and enveloping curves, these creations originate from one of Alice’s first works, the matriarchs. “It’s a continuity, an evolution of my work, perhaps in a more abstract way. They are very feminine, very organic shapes,” she comments.
In addition to the curves, the Híbridos series draws attention to the colors and treatment given to the pieces. Alice explains that the last step, enameling, takes place only on the inside to make the work waterproof, while the outside maintains the texture and natural color of the earth, giving it a distinct characteristic with a naturally soft and organic texture, contrasting with the usual rigidity. associated with that material.
“I didn’t want to create a universe with thousands of identical pieces. I wanted to maintain this characteristic of the collectible object coming from the world of art”
Another unique aspect of Alice’s work is her practice of numbering her creations in print runs, something common in the art world, but rare when we talk about design. In this way, each piece assumes a singularity, even when integrated into a series of similar works. By clarifying the reason behind this approach, Alice intertwines artistic making with design.
“I come from an artistic background, with artist parents. But I also studied Industrial Design at college, where you learn how to produce on scale. So, I do it this way that allows me to recreate my pieces, while maintaining the artistic essence. I didn’t want to create a universe with thousands of identical pieces. I wanted to bring the universe of art. In engraving, for example, it is a limited edition. I wanted to maintain this characteristic, of the collectible object coming from the world of art”, he emphasizes.
As Alice highlighted from the beginning, she perceives herself as a being in constant evolution. In addition to the “Híbridos” series, she reveals that she is immersed in creating a new series. The designer returned to work on her matriarchs, but in a different way from the figures that marked her first steps in her career. “Our body’s ability to generate life is something that impresses me. So it’s always linked to my work,” she comments.
It is no coincidence that Alice’s connection with ceramics strengthened after the birth of her son and we can thus see the feminine theme as a recurring element in her creations. According to Alice’s perspectives, the creation of life and creative potency can be associated with both the feminine and the earth, and this becomes a deep source of inspiration for her.
From this comes the desire to incorporate elements from these two universes, expressed by the earthy coloring in its diversity of tones and by the fluidity and organicity of the forms. In addition to telling the perspective of a designer, her pieces also manage to narrate part of the history of an ancient practice, intertwined with the beginnings of humanity and perpetuated in contemporary hands and expressions.
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