Bianca Pintan is a ceramicist and sculptor born and raised in Brazil, now based in the coastal town of Byron Bay, Australia. Following a captivating inner-call and intuition she began her journey into creating art through the medium of ceramics. Having always worked hands on, the art of ceramics came naturally to her, as though her hands had memorised these movements before.

As a self-taught artist Bianca uses this to her advantage, being open to receive inspiration rather than searching for it, exploring the realm of ceramics with a playful curiosity. Her pieces are all hand-built, using her own unique techniques. Bianca plays with the textural elements of shape and light, her pieces tell a unique story each time you view them.

More than just ceramics. Using the power of uncomplicated simplicity. Some pieces created to be purely decorative sculptures – others to be vessels of functionality. A raw and organic hand shaped ceramics collections created to anchor us in the present moment. The here and now.

We speak to Bianca about her relationship with colours in her current collection and how they can evoke powerful feelings in the home.

Q&A

Tell us a little bit about you and your journey as an artist 

I always been a creative blessed with a free thinking mind and I would say my artistic background comes from appreciating beauty in everything. I am a self-taught artist with a  desire to create inspiring and full of energy artworks, that is what brought me where I am with my current work, being a full time artist.

What inspires you? 

It sounds cliche but my inspirations come from nature like places I’ve been, things that I saw like plants and animals. Living in Byron Bay and having Tasmania as a favourite Holliday destination has given me so much inspiration on the past years – I’m privileged to find inspiration everywhere without looking for it. For instance, the textural elements of my pieces are related to sand, sand dunes and how the ocean water create patterns on the sand as it moves and the colours are everywhere, in the sky, in the ocean, fishes and corals when snorkelling at Julian rocks, looking at the birds dancing in nature. I love how natural light plays an important role on the perception of colour.

Colour as energy – can you explain this concept? 

Colour As Energy’ came with a profound need to bring intense, bold and vivid colours to my pieces. I wanted to create something special that would speak for itself, that would make the viewer pause and admire it. Each person has a colour that they are drawn to, and I love seeing their connection with my art works. I always wanted to work with colours and it took me a fair while exploring, and refining the process till I was pleased with how my final pieces turned out.

This collection really feels like you came into yourself – would you agree? 

I couldn’t agree more, theses collection its a true expression of myself. Colours can change completely the vibe of space and that’s what I see with the pieces from ‘Colour As Energy’. It’s an expression of myself and how I see the world, I am intense!

Tell us about the techniques you use? 

For me there’s no rule during the process of creating a piece, I have two path ways when I’m creating. One is by having a vision, a clear inspiration or an aesthetics that I want to get to, and when like that I start by drawing on paper before get my hands into clay.  The other path is a free flow when I just allow the clay to guide me without looking for a specific final piece. Both of the process are for me complementary on my creation.

It really depends on the size and complexity of the piece, to be honest I gave up timing it as it takes away the joy of making. I would say that I can take form 4 to 24 hours per piece and from start to finish from 6 to 12 weeks. The main material is clay, when making I just use my table with a simple table wheel, sponges, and wooden and rubber tools. After the piece has dried enough I return to it with carving tools and then is time and patience till the piece can go to the kiln.

Colourful objects for the home – how do they lift the mood of your home?  Do they uplift, ground etc. Are there particular colours that do different things? 

Colourful objects can change completely the vide of a home, like when you are getting dress and you feel like something colourful, or neutral, or black. I find the vibrant colours are energetic, and the neutral colours calming, .

How would you describe the colours in this collection? Uplifting colours

Colour is an intrinsic part of our sensory experience, and this collection is a vibrant and inquisitive exploration of colour. Each colour has a distinct effect that influences our emotional and physical responses. I like to allow the colours to play with our perceptions then guide your subconscious with their visual cues.

How would you style your current pieces for a summer change in décor styling?

I would style my pieces with natural flowers and play around with the summer-like colours that bring the energy of the sun inside. I find that by mixing intense colours together you create a stunning composition that reflects the warmth of the summer days.

Is there one piece you would specifically choose and why?

I would choose an intense orange moon vase as my summer decor piece, as it’s like the sun shining and it brings all the joy from the long days, salty hair and barefoot vibes.

What’s been the fan favourite so far? 

The cobalt blue classic vase.