Christian Holstad on Ceramics, Instincts, and His Venice Show

Christian Holstad, born in 1972 in California and based in New York, is represented by Andrew Creps Gallery in New York, Massimo De Carlo in Milan, and Victoria Miro in London. His latest solo exhibition, "Time Wounds All Heels," recently opened at Victoria Miro's Venice venue. Holstad began working with clay at age 15 as a therapeutic outlet during his parents' divorce. He later deepened his practice in Faenza, Italy, where he studied the connection between agriculture and ceramics. He learned to make pasta by hand from the matriarch of Ceramica Gatti, noting parallels between pasta and ceramics. Holstad teaches courses using pasta as a medium. He views his instincts as his sole guide and seeks to protect the clay from his ego. He sees no hierarchy between a yunomi by Shoji Hamada and a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, or between a meal and its plate. During the pandemic, he worked at Trompe Souris ceramic studio in Normandy, France, where his husband is from, and developed a fondness for local refractory clay. However, he prefers working in Faenza for its ceramic community and support. His first Italian exhibition was in 2009 at Massimo De Carlo; his current show features crocheted ceramic figures, drawings, and new "crocheted" canvases.