Mandy Gargiulo is a ceramic artist based in Nelson, New Zealand.
Working exclusively with porcelain, Mandy draws inspiration for her ceramics from the shapes and textures of her natural surrounds.
Flowers, leaves and the sea are all strong influences on her work. Celebrating what she terms the “beautifully perfect imperfection of nature,” no two pieces of work she creates are identical.
Mandy’s pieces all show the signs of the hand that has made them and the personality and materiality of porcelain as a medium.
Juxtaposing the crisp brittleness of the unglazed exterior of her bowls and vases with soft, smooth, glazed interiors, Mandy’s pieces encapsulate and enhance the perfect imperfections of the natural world.
The process of being able to craft and transform raw clay into fine, crisp and delicate pieces of art is what I love most. Using my hands to produce unique pieces evocative of our natural, native surrounds for others enjoyment gives me as much satisfaction as the process of creation itself.