Welcome to my creative world where clay is passion, art and is transformed by the union of Earth, Water, Fire and Air. My creations are inspired by nature that teaches us not to rush and to listen to the silence.

Rossana Riboldi, born in 1966, originally from Cassina Amata, a hamlet of Paderno Dugnano (Milan), moved a few years ago to Gattico-Veruno, near Lakes Maggiore and Orta, where I enjoy myself with clay in my Atelier RoxArt ArteCotta.

In life I have done something completely different (notary clerk,  with satisfactions) and I have always had a calling for manual work; I have not attended art schools or studios and the passion for clay has led me to read books and to study working techniques by attending some courses (in addition to dedicating hours and hours to it) including Raku, an ancient Japanese technique from 1500 that I love very much, whose meaning is "pleasant, joy, harmony" and the final result of the piece is surprising, it is "the beauty of imperfection".

The piece undergoes a strong thermal shock: it is therefore necessary to use a robust and refractory clay to avoid fractures. The piece undergoes an initial firing at 980° and subsequently, after enamelling, the second firing takes place in a special gas oven where the temperature rises to 900/940°. The object is taken with special tongs and inserted into bins containing paper, sawdust, leaves, which, burning in contact with the incandescent pieces, produce a reduction in oxygen. The object is then extracted again, immersed in water and cleaned to eliminate signs of combustion and to bring out the metallic reflections.

For Naked Raku (naked raku) the process is the same but a release agent is applied before the glaze, the smoke passes through the cracks that are created during rapid cooling, leaving blackened areas on the surface of the piece. The soul of Raku is the contact with the elements Earth, Water, Air, Fire, unique unrepeatable pieces. The final effect is unpredictable and it is the small imperfections that make each object unique, artisanal and original. The first firings of the pieces I create take place in my solar powered oven while for the Raku firings I make use of the skill of two artist friends, who I was lucky enough to meet on my journey, Giovanni Crippa and Livio Rossetti, with whom we share moments of joy and wonder.

I'm getting closer and I'm also experimenting with stoneware (high temperature).

Continuing to experiment with passion and curiosity is the thing that fascinates me most both in life and in art. Dreaming is never a waste of time.