Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiki Cammarata.
Kiki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am a multidisciplinary artist and art educator living in Somerville, MA.
My love for hand crafts and visual art has been life-long. My family immigrated from Italy and most support themselves by working in trades, demonstrating great skill and artistic capacities through patient and meticulous hand-work. In my adult life, the more I have immersed myself in art and broadened my range of creative pursuits, the more astounding it has become that the impressive work of my family members is not work they themselves deem “artistic.” Their work, rather, is a means to an end and in most cases involving trades or skill sets passed down from generation to generation. To be an “artist” was inextricably linked to privilege.
This foundation has deep roots and great influence on my creative inspiration, both in my teaching and through my own art work; work that is a reflection of my personal history and gratitude. I embrace the opportunity to re-imagine and revitalize age-old crafts from a modern perspective, marrying the old with the new. I am certain that my patience and persistence in some of the most masochistic mediums is inherited and was nurtured by the DIY spirit in which I was raised.
I chose to marry my passion for the arts and my enthusiasm for working with children by making a career-change in my 20s; I quit my job to intensively study the studio arts for a year or so and then, returned for a Masters in Education from Lesley University/The Art Institute of Boston. For four years now, I have been working full-time as an K-10 art teacher and pursuing my own work on the side. I do most of my ceramic work at Maud Morgan Arts in Cambridge and jewelry-making out of my Somerville studio at Vernon St. Because I am both a teacher AND a maker, I am continuously immersed in art; learning and cultivating my own skills as an artist in an array of mediums.
Inspiration for my ceramic and jewelry work is borne out of my aesthetic preference for clean lines, angles and geometric shapes. As a teacher, I’m also influenced by various movements in modern art history which inform my use of these elements; whether it be in the geometric cut outs of my brass jewelry or the abstract expressionist influence and color palette of my ceramic glazes. I’m drawn to creating functional pieces that are unique and playful and the notion of experimenting with positive and negative space.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! For years after graduating with my undergraduate degree, I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I had dreams and wild ideas that, at the time, seemed absolutely impossible. I was unhappy in my previous work; I felt stifled and stuck. The only thing I knew for certain was that, I was happy when I created. It didn’t matter what it was, but the process of making was cathartic for me. Going back to school to pursue art, when I finally made the decision to do so, seemed less like a decision and more of an imperative. It was what I needed to do to survive.
Honing my skills as an artist, in general, was just the beginning. Then there was starting my teaching career; the more I taught (which in itself is SUCH a learning experience), the more confident I became in my skills as an artist and the more skilled I became by doing and doing and doing! Working as an art teacher and sharing my passion for art has become an ongoing inspiration for my own creative work; this was surprising to me.
There is so much that goes into starting a little business and working 40+ hours a week makes it extremely difficult. There is SO much to learn about every facet of the process; I am endlessly learning. For years, I just made and made and never shared my work; I am a perfectionist which makes this challenging, as I’m always finding the imperfections. If there’s any advice I’d give to someone just starting their creative journey, I would tell them what I tell my students (and need to remind myself)! Don’t be afraid to just try something, experiment, be open… and confident. It’s all about the journey.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Kiki Cammarata; Handmade Objects – what should we know?
I don’t like to confine myself to box because I love to make many things and my interests are always evolving. Presently, I’m mostly creating wheel-thrown ceramic work and jewelry.
My ceramic forms are inspired by mid-century modern design; clean lines and angles. Additionally, I love incorporating sculptural elements into my ceramic pieces. Many of my mugs, for example, feature sculptural handles that play around with positive and negative space. I like to incorporate fun, unexpected elements like handles that continue into the inside of the piece. Other pieces I make, incorporate crystals which I hand-carve and attach for sculptural appeal. I’m also pretty experimental when it comes to glazing my pieces — I do a lot of splatter work and have some series inspired by artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy on which I layer colored underglazes using a variety of non-traditional application methods. I have some galaxy pieces I began creating, inspired by David Bowie. For those I do a lot of bubble-glazing and splatter. By no means am I, at this point, producing quantities of the same piece; my mind is always wandering and I have so many ideas I like to keep things fresh. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and I’m going to continue experimenting with form and color!
My jewelry work, also, is inspired by modern art history. I use brass and sterling silver, working with simple geometric shapes and line. I’ll hand-saw an array of pieces and then work to create mini compositions that emulate the work of my favorite artists. Sometimes they have a futuristic edge, which I love.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
Everything! Women can do anything. Women are amazing.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6 Vernon St; Vernon St. Studios
Somerville, MA 02145 - Website: www.etsy.com/shop/KikiCammarataArt
- Phone: 203-980-9151
- Email: kikicammarata.art@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kikicammarata_art/
Image Credit:
Kiki Cammarata
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