The Cooperativa Ceramica d'Imola, Artistic Section is a true craftsmen's workshop and a magical place where skill, memory and culture continue to transform lumps of clay into beautiful vases, in the best "Made in Italy" tradition.
In such a modern, industrial context, such as the current day Cooperativa Ceramica d'Imola, the production of artistic majolica represents a cross section of old fashioned life where everything is as it once was. Skilled hands still mould the clay and create pieces decorated with full yet lightweight brush strokes in an atmosphere inspired by eighteenth century style and taste.
Only an expert master vase maker could make such a beautiful job of moulding a piece of clay. Extraordinary skill, expressed through gestures rich in talent and years of study, technique experience, can transform this simple material into precious objects or art and design.
The clay, cradled lovingly inside special moulds, gives birth to a variety of forms, no matter how complex. The secret here is to remain patient, to observe and, finally, to be enchanted by the craftsman's skill as a body, an outline, a profile is conjured from the formless material.
The final beauty of the object lies in the quality of the decoration. A palette with a vast range of colours, modern and centuries-old tools, paint brushes and pounce wheels: these are the elements the decorator uses to express his or her skill and creativity to the full, moving effortlessly between traditional 18th and 19th Century motifs and more modern stylistic solutions.