About me
Hi! My name is Ania.
I love vibrant colors and unique, original designs. The allure of South America enthralls me, along with the captivating beauty of Mexican Talavera ceramics and art, especially Frida Kahlo’s paintings
My passion has grown from these interests, transforming into a profession. Therefore, for some time now, I have been engaged in hand-decorating ceramic tiles. I glaze and paint the tiles myself, and then fire them at 1000°C. I primarily use the traditional majolica technique, which involves painting on raw glaze.
I design the patterns myself, drawing inspiration from Portuguese, Spanish, Mexican, and many other sources. I invite you to my world full of colors!
How did it happen
that one day I started painting tiles?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been interested in art history, painting, and theater. Even in elementary school, I participated in various art competitions, and art classes were my favorites. 🙂 In high school, it was time for theater and literature. Taking part in school performances, attending theater events and art exhibitions, engaging in discussions about art and literature – that’s how I could sum up my younger years. Unfortunately, despite these inclinations, pragmatism won out in me, and I decided to pursue language studies. Fortunately, my artistic passion endured. As a hobby, I started painting mugs, vases, planters, bottles, and then firing them in the oven! Those were my beginnings in ceramic decoration. Back then, I didn’t realize that one day my interest would become my profession. I purchased a specialized kiln, and for a year now, I’ve been professionally involved in ceramic painting. I was lucky to find the best teacher and mentor – thanks to her, I learned various ceramic decoration techniques: underglaze painting, majolica, and overglaze painting.
Why tiles?
Tiles were an obvious choice because I’ve always loved them. I even have a tattoo of an azulejo tile on my forearm! 🙂 But at the time I was getting it done, I never even dreamed that one day I would be able to make such a tile myself.
My fascination with tiles started with Mexican tiles and Talavera pottery. The name Talavera refers to pottery made in the region of Puebla, Mexico. This pottery is characterized by beautiful, colorful patterns and intense colors, with dominant colors being cobalt blue, blue, orange, green, yellow, and black. Talavera is not only about tiles, but also includes all kinds of pottery and utility ceramics such as sinks and even toilets! Interestingly, Talavera pottery originated in Spain, from the city of Talavera de la Reina, from which it takes its name.
In my home, which I finished off more than 12 years ago, tiles simply had to be there 🙂 At that time, I didn’t know how to paint such tiles myself, so the perfect choice turned out to be original, hand-painted Mexican tiles. I remember that they were very expensive, but I couldn’t resist them. Thanks to them, my home is colorful and original, and interestingly enough, after more than 12 years of living here, I still haven’t grown tired of them.
My inspirations
Of course, the previously mentioned Talavera ceramics with their intense color palette and original designs are my first inspiration. Bold and colorful patterns give Talavera ceramics a unique look and are an inspiration for me to create my own designs.
For years, I have been inspired by South America, Spain, and Portugal.
Out of love for the culture and tradition of South America, my husband and I traveled to Peru and Ecuador to explore their cities and landscapes for over a month.
I gained many inspirations and knowledge from this trip, both about the culture and people. I was also fascinated by the local nature – the Andes, the Golden City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, the volcanoes around Quito, the Amazon jungle, and the Equator. These experiences shaped me as an artist and continue to shape me to this day.
My muse is also the Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. Inspiration from her art can be found on my tiles. I am fascinated by both her character and the aesthetics of her paintings, full of intense colors, strong contrasts, symbolism, and references to Mexican culture.
Contact
If you have any questions or are interested in my tiles or plates, please contact me. I will be happy to answer all your questions!