Eu erro, refaço e sigo.
Although I’m still new to this world, I began my path in ceramics in September 2024 and have already shaped over 200 pieces, one by one, learning and putting my heart into each step.
Ceramics came into my life at a moment when I needed to slow down. I started as someone simply looking for a quiet moment — no rush, just to breathe. And it slowly became part of my routine, part of how I live.
Before shaping my first large piece, I had already made over 200 small ones — cups, plates, ornaments — created slowly, one by one, while learning. I keep them all with care, as they’re part of my beginning. But it was still a quiet, delicate start — a time of experimentation.
Something changed in the studio of my teacher, Magali Ercolin. One day, she showed me a book. It was there, among the materials, as if waiting to be found. And it was.
Interwoven — 縄文の手 (Jōmon no Te) Inspired by the ancestral Japanese coil-building technique, this piece was built by hand, layer by layer, in a meditative and challenging process.
The Hands of Jōmon 縄文 (Jōmon) = literally “cord pattern”, the name of the ancient Japanese pottery period that inspired this work. の (no) = possessive particle, similar to “of”. 手 (te) = hand.
May handicrafts be increasingly valued in Brazil—for all that they represent: history, culture, and identity.
I spent Sunday at the 19th Handicraft Fair at Ibirapuera, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with my mother, Elizabeth, and my aunt Silvia. We visited stand by stand, talked to many exhibitors, and I left with my head full of ideas and my heart full.
I visited the Handicraft Fair last year, and it was great. So many amazing things in one place — ceramics, woodwork, fibers, pigments... all made by people who really know what they’re doing.
This year, I'm going again. It's the kind of event that's really worth it: you learn, meet people from different regions, and leave full of ideas. It takes place from May 21 to 25, 2025, at the Bienal Pavilion, in Ibirapuera Park.
The 55th Koguei Art Exhibition, promoted by Bunkyo, will take place from October 5 to 19, 2025, in São Paulo. It is one of the most important Japanese-Brazilian art exhibitions, with an open theme and a meticulous curatorial process.
At this moment, I am in the process of applying with pieces created especially for the occasion — works that carry the silence of fire, the lightness of time, and the presence of gesture.
My work began at a moment when I was seeking silence — and I found it in clay.
I'm Renata Catena, and I'm still at the beginning of my path as a ceramicist. I’ve been learning slowly, with my hands and with time — through attempts, mistakes, and the small joys that come along the way. I come from a fast-paced life — I run a business, I’m involved in social projects — but it was through ceramics that I found a different space. A quieter rhythm, more grounded. A pace that invites presence.
