Cristiana Prado
SHOP 108 Featured Artist
June – July 2024
As an artist born and grown up in Brazil, my sense of identity has been formed fundamentally by my relationship to my native culture. Living in this country for 24 years has embodied my creative process to come to terms with my origins and to create an artistic archive of my cultural heritage. I am from Salvador a coastal city, full of mysticism and syncretism of religions due to the interrelations between Africa, Europe, and the local native culture. My inspiration to create my art comes from my fascination with the Afro-Brazilian art and culture. Also, I get inspiration from my strong connection with nature. From the ocean to the forests and gardens I can establish contact with the essence of a form- a world of diversity in colors and texture.
My ceramic pieces are mostly symbolic objects in various scales. While creating, I look for aesthetic relationships between my sources of inspiration. Clay has been the best medium for me to express this dynamic union. I employ labor-intensive surface treatments by using textures, organic shapes, distorted masses, and blended colors. I am constantly experimenting with layers of glazes fired many times to create a unique palette.
In Brazil, I graduated with a degree in architecture, which I feel gave me a good foundation as an artist. I then moved to the United States in 1999. At the University of Tulsa, I attained a BFA in 2006, and an MA in 2009, both in printmaking. In 2013, I obtained an MFA in ceramics. For the past 12 years, I have been teaching art appreciation and Foundations 2d Design at Tulsa Community College. Currently, I have been the Fine Arts instructor at MIS one of the Tulsa Public Schools and the ceramic and design 3d adjunct professor at the University of Tulsa.
My artwork has been exhibited in galleries from Oklahoma, (Tulsa mostly), Kansas, Missouri, Virginia, Texas, Nevada (Las Vegas), and Brazil. I remain very active in the local art community.
SHOP 108 for Featured Artist work here
Watch the video interview with Cristiana Prado