Brenda Fantozzi
clay Artist
BRENDA FANTOZZI
Brenda was born in South
Africa and lived most of her life in the big cities working for large corporate
firms – the corporate life and hectic rat race eventually left an empty void. She, her Italian husband and
their family of cats, moved to the sleepy village of Wilderness where she set
up her studio and developed what was initially a part-time hobby, into a vibrant
passion. She says “making art is for me a daily ritual equal to eating and
breathing.”
About BRENDA
what SHE has to say ...
There is nothing quite
like the experience of working with clay, it offers unlimited opportunities for
creativity and new directions. Clay, by its very nature, lends itself to
the organic way in which I work. I work with clay because I love the fact that
I can interact directly with the material. I approach the clay
with an open idea, and work with it as it takes its own shape. Starting
with a basic idea or emotion, each piece evolves naturally –taking on a life of
its own.
Art is, on its most basic
level, a form of communication with many layers to a piece of work. It may be
amusement, a thoughtful moment or a theme that resonates or it could just be a
shape, surface or line that attracts the eye.
Each of my creations is a
one-of-a-kind narrative work with each telling a story, or invoking a story in
the beholder. I believe one cannot create without a piece of themselves being
expressed in that creation.
Another artist, once said "I see in clay a soft, subtle beauty, a gentleness and
contentment, I simply guide it to completion." I identify
with this completely.
my studio...
Brenda’s studio is in
Wilderness and overlooks the beautiful Touw River. The natural vegetation which
surrounds the studio is home to many birds and offers tranquil inspiration.
The studio can be visited
by appointment only.
My creative
Work
My work is quite diverse ranging from serious tile art to whimsical critters, with more traditional pottery pieces creeping into my portfolio.
Being from Africa there is an obvious strong African influence in many of the pieces that I create.
PEACE of Clay
"Working with clay is for me a daily ritual equal to eating and breathing. While for some it's just a piece of clay for me it is the peace of clay that I thrive on."
A synopsis of my work follows.
tile art
These 'pictures' can either be seen as a single image or hundreds of individual little pieces of art – depicting how nature and life itself can be viewed. At first one is unable to focus on the variety in nature which surrounds us, however the little details quickly emerge, the leaf connected to its stem, the eyelid of gecko. Each handmade piece as well as the overall image must be seen and felt as being unique.
Patterns intrigue me and I enjoy discovering ways to incorporate them into my work.
statues of african ladies
All my work is hand built. I love the art of hand building as it provides freedom and unlimited possibilities. My African ladies are inspired by my love for Africa.
whimsical
pieces
With a touch of humor, I strive to capture behavior, movement and emotion in my whimsical pieces. I rarely start a piece with a specific outcome in mind. For me, the excitement begins as I feel the clay take on a life of its own and an idea emerges from the clay.
functional
pieces
While creating functional pieces is not my passion, I find myself seeing opportunities to use clay in many everyday situations.
rhinos
The declining population of rhinos in Africa is very close to my heart. A percentage of all rhino statues sold is donated to the Anti Poaching fund in South Africa.
