About Simone Azevedo
Statement
I am Simone yet I’ve been searching for my identity in so many ways.
I grew up in a world of contrasts which forced me to pick sides I didn’t necessarily care about. The alternative made me feel lonely.
This experience has influenced who I am as an artist until now, yet it doesn’t serve me anymore.
Since 2021 when I lost my parents, my journey has been to (re)build memories of my childhood and reconnect with moments of pure joy.
Memories of my childhood are, mostly, without the presence of my parents. It is not different from what my sister has (or don’t).
I started working in other ways to identify who I am besides my name.
I’ve been working on “Collecting Memories” throughout collecting leaves, flowers and transforming them into pottery pieces. A process that is helping me to accept today, plan some kind of future, and care less about the past. It is a work in progress.
Each one of these pieces are now represent feelings, even the darker ones. They also support my interest in preserving nature and our planet.
It is how we store our own memories: they may not be a perfect representation of what happened in the past but can influence today. And if we do right now, we leave a better future.
I believe this is how life can be: unique, uncontrollable, memorable.
oubaitori {japanese}
The idea that people, like flowers, bloom in their own time and follow their own individual journeys; the acceptance of not comparing oneself to others, and focusing on one’s own uniqueness.
Biography
Simone always had a creative mind and did embroidery, knitting and crochet when growing up in Brazil.
Simone re-started exploring her creativity as an artist after taking hand-building ceramics lessons at the Community Kiln.
Since then, Simone has expanded her love for ceramics taking more classes and participating in local markets and more recently, her pieces got accepted to be part of an exhibition at the Umbrella Arts Center and at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Simone also works with embroidery where she explores more colors, patterns and integrating beads and ceramics into her work.
Simone works with watercolor, particularly inspired by nature and colors and while she favors abstract pieces, she has been practicing botanicals watercolor.
Nature has been a huge source of inspiration following Simone’s BS in Biology, particularly mushrooms, seashells, flowers and insects.
Simone spends her days working from her studio at home where she lives with her husband and two children.
Approach on Ceramic
When I started working with clay, I just wanted to try as much as possible. I did things I love, I did things that won’t matter anymore.
One thing became very clear to me: I love exploring and testing.
My pieces are, mostly, unique. I rarely make more than one piece although some ideas are more exciting and I am working in some collections with multiple pieces.
I am fascinated by the work done by Lucie Rie. There’s something special about what she did.
I am also very attracted to Japanese ceramics. The wabi-sabi aesthetic, focusing on natural beauty, imperfections, and organic forms have inspired me.
You will find this influences on some of my pieces where I incorporate modern finishes and eclectic elements, blending traditional and contemporary influences
