In Pottery Roma, two souls—Walter and Carolina—bring together the experiences of 30 years of work. When you’re engaged in artistic craftsmanship, there’s a duality at play. You’re an artisan because you know how to work with your hands and the materials you create with, making it a profession (after all, bills need to be paid!). But you’re also an artist, carrying your passion with you everywhere, even at home, where inspiration often strikes at night.
From the beginning, our work has always been fueled by a passion for materials. While others used ready-made products (acrylics, oils), we sought out unique, beautiful pigments in their natural state and explored ways to bind them to surfaces. These materials, non-toxic for those who work with them, require more time to prepare and apply—a sort of “slow art” and a way of preserving a disappearing tradition.
What fascinated us was how everything brought us back to the artists who came before us. Through our craft as decorative artisans, we delved into art history and the materials that humanity has used to create works that remain timeless in their beauty. We discovered that traditional folk art, like furniture decoration, made use of readily available products, such as cheese (for casein) or Marseille soap, while the “higher” art of painters from the Renaissance through to de Chirico often relied on egg tempera as a color medium.
Over time, Carolina became not only a skilled colorist but also an expert in casein, soap, glue, and egg-based temperas—mediums free of volatile petroleum-derived substances or acrylic resins. Walter, on the other hand, has continued his passion for material imitation, specializing in stucco marmo, following the original 16th-century recipes and adapting them for modern use. His collaboration with contemporary artists has led to works exhibited at MoMA and the Venice Biennale.
Our latest passion is clay, especially stoneware. We favor clays with natural colors, heavily textured chamotte stonewares, and simple shapes. Everything is handcrafted without electric wheels, almost as if to connect with those who came before us and created wonderful works. We draw inspiration from ancient forms and use only slab and coil techniques, working with tools that are sometimes “invented” and crafted by us according to our needs.
Our marble-inspired vases are made from white clays colored with natural pigments, kneaded by hand using a technique we’ve developed. By choice, we avoid glazes that may release volatile substances during firing, so our stonewares are finished with natural wax.
We also dedicate special attention to packaging, using only ecological, recycled, and recyclable materials.
