research
After working as an art director in fashion campaigns for over a decade, I left advertising to pursue my passion for ceramics. I aimed to infuse a textile imprint on the pieces, combining my fashion, sewing, and clay expertise. I experimented with different techniques and materials until I developed a unique method based on textile constructions: “I stitch simple lines and parametric designs onto a handmade leather quilt, which I then use as a casting mold for my porcelain pieces. The mold is carefully unsewn to reveal the finished piece.”
In my creative process, I experiment with unconventional variables in my workshop that resemble a laboratory: “I test the effects of humidity, temperature, consistencies, and gravity until I achieve the desired alchemy. Every piece I create is an exercise of shapes, volumes, and physical tensions”.
Unlike mass-produced ceramics, soft shells create one-of-a-kind pieces. The process involves designing from the inside out, combining art, science, and crafts: “ I aim to push the boundaries of traditional ceramics by introducing new manufacturing techniques and textures into the ceramic culture.”
exhibition "In Corium" Galería Aninat, Santiago-Chile
BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY
DITA COSSIO
CERAMIC ARTIST / BASED IN CHILE
I am a designer who graduated from the Universidad Católica de Chile with a Diploma in Aesthetics and Art History from 1997-2001.
I have been a partner and art director at Panda Chile, an advertising and design studio, for over 10 years. In 2011, I began focusing on investigating objects and in 2015, I pursued a Diploma in Digital Manufacturing at the same University to learn about new creative technologies. Later, in 2016, I joined the “Bajo el Roble Workshop” directed by mixed media artist Daniela Pulido, which gave me the opportunity to explore ceramics and experiment with textile molds. In 2017, I moved to New York to broaden my knowledge of the chemistry of clays with Professor Matt Katz (Ceramic Engineer Alfred University, University of Colorado-Boulder). In 2022, my research project was recognized with a grant from the National Culture Fund Award (Fondart) in Category Design and Creation. I currently live and work in Chile, continuing my research in a self-taught way, and have participated in art galleries and fairs exhibitions in recent years.
TRAJECTORY
· 2023 September - International Contemporary Art Fair CONTEMPORANIA High Craftmanship, Barcelona.
Past Exhibitions / Publications /Awards:
· 2023 - International Contemporary Art Fair Pinta Parc, Lima, Perú.
· 2022 - International Contemporary Art Fair Ch.ACO, Santiago, Chile.
· 2022 - Aninat Gallery, solo exhibition “In Corium,” Santiago, Chile.
· 2022 - Interview in Revista Material, Experimental Design Magazine, Santiago, Chile.
· 2022 - National Culture Fund Award (Fondart) Design category, Santiago, Chile.
· 2020 - Interview in AD Magazine México and Latinoamérica,
· 2019 - Exhibición West Elm, Emerging Local Designer, New York, USA.
· 2019 - Renegade Craft Fair, New York, USA.