NATALIA DIAS

About

Born in 1978 in Funchal, Madeira. Moved to Portugal (mainland) at 9 years old and in 2001 moved to the UK where I currently reside

Love is a way of transforming the ephemeral into eternal.

My work is an allegory to the human condition, the Alchemical journey that an individual takes from birth to death in search of harmony and which can be manifest through Love.

Regarding the individual and the collective I intend to express the brittle transiency of life and its humble beauty. The pure fact of matter from the minute to the infinite and its eternal ephemera.

The principal thing is not the creation of imaginary worlds or beings but the discovery of the mysterious relationship between man and his circumstances, so using metaphor and beauty I intend to project the viewer to a dreamscape of poetic sensuality and magic and hyper realism.

This body of work is a surreal mix of fact and fantasy. Desirable objects, visceral candy, and religious innuendo inspired by the flamboyant 16th century French Palissy Ware. Adopted later, around the 19th century, by Portuguese artists Manuel Mafra and Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and which has been a tradition in Portugal since but which is at the moment in threat of extinction. I am now drawing closer my ceramic cultural identity with the ceramic related art education that I received in Wales and creating hybrids of both influences in my imagination.
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Location: CARDIFF, United Kingdom
Website: http://www.nataliadias.com

Education

Education/ Qualifications:

2006 2009 1st class BA Hons Ceramics Cardiff School of Art and Design, Wales

2005 2006 City & Guilds (full time) Creative Ceramics at Colaiste Stiofan Naofa, Cork, Ireland

2001 2003 High National Diploma - Restoration and decorative studies Portsmouth University

Exhibitions include:

2010 May/June "Fact and Fantasy" at Oriel 2, Crafts in the Bay, Cardiff

2010 April Mixed media show, 21 artists, Candid arts Trust, Islington, London

2009 Oct The Islington Art & Design Fair, Candid arts Trust, London

2009 Sept Portal series, Llantarnam Grange Arts centre, Wales

2009 Sept Wedge Crimson WC, Collaboration installation at Oriel Fach, Narberth, Wales

2009 July New Designers, London, England

2009 July Aberystwyth International Ceramics festival, Aberystwyth, Wales

2009 June End of year show, Cardiff school of Art & Design, Wales

2009 may/july Shortlisted for Welsh artist of the year 2009, St Davies Hall, Cardiff, Wales

2008 dec Winter show, Oriel Q, Narberth, Wales

2008 sept Solo exhibition at Ultra Comida, Narberth, Wales

2008 may Clayart, Llanrhaedr, Denbigh, Wales

2008 apr/may Group exhibition at Oriel Q, Narberth, Wales

2007 dec Installation "Golden Dome", Oriel Fach, Narberth, Wales

2007 sept/jan/08 Design 4 science, touring exhibition:
Sunderland Museum and Winter gardens, England
Manchester Museum and winter gardens, England
Nobel prize Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

2007 aug Kilkenny Arts festival, Kilkenny, Ireland

2007 july Aberystwyth International Ceramics festival, Aberystwyth, Wales

2007 feb Make it Happen, Vision centre, Cork, Ireland

2006 jun End of year show, Colaiste Stiofan Naofa, Cork, Ireland

2006 jun/aug Garden treasures, photography solo exhibition, Tom Barrys pub, Cork, Ireland

2004 oct Black Month, Portsmouth Arts centre, Portsmouth, England

Awards:

2007 Welcome Trust competition Design4Science" 1st prize winner on the ceramic and glass category

Publications:

2009 may 500 Ceramic sculptures, Lark Books

Residencies:

2009 sept/2010 graduate residency at the Fireworks studios, Cardiff, Wales

2008 jun/aug residency at La Perdrix ceramic studios, Saint Martin de Riberac, France

Collections:

Work in the private collection of Dr Hywel Thomas, Haverfordwest, Wales
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