ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Cleo Fariselli on Ceramics as Intimate Encounter

artist · 2026-04-27

In a conversation with Irene Biolchini for Artribune, Cleo Fariselli, an Italian artist born in 1982 in Cesenatico, reflects on her deepening connection with ceramics, which she describes as a gradual and personal journey. Although she initially found clay unappealing during high school, she later experienced a rediscovery that led to a more sensual interaction. Fariselli compares the act of shaping clay to a dance, with each movement serving as a memory. She perceives her sculptures as 'crystallizations of time' and connects ceramics to her performance art, highlighting the importance of viewer movement around her pieces. Her ongoing project 'U.' (2012–ongoing) is a sensory 'performance-exhibition,' while her series 'Raku Untitled' creates new aesthetic spaces using life casts. This interview is featured in Artribune's series 'Gli artisti e la ceramica.'

Key facts

  • Cleo Fariselli was born in Cesenatico in 1982.
  • She combines conceptual art with experiential dimensions.
  • Her initial contact with clay in high school was repulsive.
  • She rediscovered ceramics later, driven by inner necessity.
  • She describes working with clay as a dance between bodies.
  • Her 'Raku Untitled' series uses life casts of her body to create negative spaces.
  • The ongoing project 'U.' (2012–ongoing) is a performance-exhibition.
  • The interview is part of Artribune's series 'Gli artisti e la ceramica'.

Entities

Artists

  • Cleo Fariselli
  • Irene Biolchini
  • Liliana Moro

Institutions

  • Artribune
  • Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza
  • University of Malta

Locations

  • Cesenatico
  • Italy
  • Faenza
  • Malta

Sources