Discover The Badass And Empowering Ceramics Of Female Alchemy

The term alchemy is one that defines a magical process of creation, and within ancient history has traditionally been associated with the male gender, however, now the women are having their moment, too. As the world has evolved to form a society that shines a light on the strong female artists of our generation, ceramics artist Tatiana Cardona has made waves with her empowering and inspiring ceramic creations. 

Encouraged to be creative from a young age by her late father's work as an artist, Tatiana, 23, first discovered her love for ceramics whilst in high school. “I really enjoyed it and instantly felt connected to it in a way that neither painting nor drawing had ever felt” she reflects. “Being the obsessive person that I am, I followed every ceramic artist on Instagram and saw some badass women supporting themselves through selling their ceramic pieces and I felt I could do the same, so that’s what I strived for.”

Her studio is a pink palace of serenity that we could all only dream of, Tatiana worked to turn her garage into a space fit for her brand Female Alchemy. “I invested in a large Kiln, bought a lot of thrift furniture and bought some cheap frames from the dollar store, and mostly put pictures of my dogs in them and hung them up for decoration,” she says. “When I’m in my studio I want to feel like I’m in a safe and beautiful space where I can feel inspired. Your environment is such a big factor in the quality of your work, in feeling motivated and inspired to get up and make time to create, and just elevating your spirits while you create.” 

With her ceramics assured to be the statement pieces of your room and the most exciting parcel you’ll receive in the mail, Tatiana uses her iconic lip and female form designs across mugs, ashtrays, incense sticks and plant potters. “The first pieces that began Female Alchemy were two tiny little mini vases that are smaller than my pinky. I added lips to them and thought they were so adorable that I would make a life-size cup just like them, and then I just kept making them” she says. “When I made these little pieces, I was sitting in my little table in college and was tired of making conceptual work that had to have deep thought and meaning behind it. I said I was just going to let myself create something without thinking and that’s when they were created.”

Each piece takes 4-5 hours from start to finish, with Tatiana beginning by throwing the clay on the wheel. This is followed by trimming, adding the lips, pique firing, glazing, and finally a hand paint or dip. “I like to plan out some ideas for my whole collection before I begin but I don’t plan out any lip shapes or colors. I think of the lip expression as I am making them, and I think of the colors and designs as I am glazing them” she explains. 

“At first all my lip creations were painted red because of the historical empowerment it signified for women suffragettes,” she says, “’ There could not be a more perfect symbol of suffragettes than red lipstick, because it's not just powerful, it's female,’ said Rachel Felder. Of course, my work has evolved, and I use many colors now, but the message stands the same. I make bold work for bold women.” 

Her last collection, Female Energy, sold out in almost ten minutes and was one that Tatiana held close to her. “This collection meant a lot to me, more than my past ones because of all the ups and downs I endured while making it” she reflects. “My favorite piece was definitely Mr. Dude, he was the light at the end of the tunnel. He was the first piece I took out of the kiln that was not destroyed, he was just as I pictured him in my head, but better. He really signified hope for me, and I am so happy for whoever has him in their home right now!”

Tatiana credits social media and its sense of community to the growth of her brand, especially in a time where the internet is the key to keeping us all united. “TikTok was surprisingly such a big factor and sped up the growth of Female Alchemy exponentially, some videos went viral and from there so many people reached out to me and all the followers from there then reached my Instagram,” she says. “There is an algorithm to all of the platforms and once you figure them out the limits are endless!” 

So, what does the future hold for a self-supporting female who dares to create outside of the box?  “I really want to work on starting a YouTube channel this year and start sharing my work through there,” says Tatiana. “I also want to expand and work with brands, and design some clothes, bags, etc.”

We know we’ll be waiting, won’t you?

Female Alchemy’s top tips to turn you into a quarantine clay goddess:

- Clay may seem intimidating but it’s quite literally just playing with dirt so get your hands dirty! Don’t worry so much about the outcome but try staying present and enjoy the feeling of clay on your hands.

- Clay is so forgiving, anything you mess up can most likely be fixed so don’t be scared to go for it. If you mess up you can fix it later!

- You don’t need a studio, just make whatever space you have at this time, a space that makes you want to be there and work. Even if it is just a desk, decorate that desk or put it near a window to receive some natural daylight and watch how much more work you will get done.

Next up, We Interview BORN ORIGINALS' Sneaker Customizer Vanessa And Get An Unique Fizzy Sneaker