A Fragile Toy

Luciano Polverigiani was born in Buenos Aires in 1973. He studied at the Fernando Arranz School of Ceramics in Buenos Aires and earned his degree as a National Master in 1993. Since then, he has focused on developing his personal work and participating in various individual and collective projects related to ceramic art and craft. In 2021, he became a member of the International Academy of Ceramics.

His work explores the ceramic material and the intended use or destination of the finished pieces. For example, “clay” as a material and “the cup” as an everyday object. We can imagine countless ceramic objects that serve different purposes —utilitarian, decorative, artistic, and more. In all these cases, we associate ceramic material with fragility. Ceramic objects break when dropped or handled roughly.

From this idea, he began to explore the concept of a “ceramic toy.” A toy that breaks might seem contradictory; however, it offers conceptual and poetic elements for the development of these pieces.

The “use” of these works is tied to playfulness and movement. There’s a paradox in the fact that clay, the essential material for ceramicists, is uniquely plastic in its raw state but, once fired, becomes rigid and compact —the opposite of pliable and mobile. Ceramics are not only fragile, but also rigid. These themes emerge in his work in the form of experiments. Small and medium-sized sculptures depict scenes or situations where a group of characters engage in dialogue, and they can be moved or repositioned to create new scenes and perspectives.

“In a ceramic toy, I reflect on fragility, and through the act of play, I reflect on movement.”.