Maria Andrade Troya Artist Statement
As a ceramic artist, I am deeply attracted to the reflective relationship between form and function in our homes. For me pottery is the perfect embodiment of utility and beauty into a handmade pot. I work with a white stoneware clay on the wheel and occasionally alter my pots. My decorating process include: mishima/inlay drawings, wax resist, slip trailing and carving. I fire in an electric kiln to Cone 6 which allows me to have consistency in my glaze surfaces as well as a wide palette of brilliant and jeweled colors.
Having grown-up in Quito, Ecuador, my influences come from many of the handmade objects that surrounded me throughout my childhood, for example: Andean textiles and embroidery. As well as the colorful flora of the Andes, where just about everything bloomed year-round. I am also inspired by Persian pottery and 18th/19th century fabrics and wallpapers. My pots also revolve around the love of cooking, baking and bringing the beauty of the garden into everyday life.