About

Sandra Davolio is an acclaimed contemporary Danish-Italian ceramic artist who has been represented by Modernity for more than 10 years. Taking inspiration from nature and ancient Etruscan culture, Sandra’s delicate and breathtaking vessels are in the spotlight at Modernity’s Belgravia gallery during London Craft Week.

Sandra’s technique involves throwing the vessel before applying rolls of wet porcelain to the body of the piece. She then carefully thumbs these into her characteristically delicate fringe-like protrusions, resulting in organic biomorphic forms that resemble corals or blossoms. The play of light on the pleats of the white porcelain is particularly striking.

‘Using an unyielding material to achieve my delicate pieces thrills me. In fact, it is precisely this somewhat contradictory aspect that defines my practice.’
—Sandra Davolio, 2022

Because of the complex structure and thinness of the applied porcelain, Sandra’s pieces are extremely difficult to fire and take weeks to finish. The sizes of her sculptures range from small to monumental, some reaching up to 70cm. As a graduate of the Danish School of Design in Copenhagen, Sandra is influenced by a minimalist Scandinavian design aesthetic.

Sandra’s work is represented in multiple major collections of international museums and institutions, such as the Smithsonian Design Museum’s Cooper Hewitt in New York, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm.

Modernity specialises in the collection and sale of rare and high-grade furniture, ceramics, glass, lighting and jewellery by the most renowned Nordic designers of the 20th century. Their large collection includes design classics by Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen Alvar Aalto, Berndt Friberg — to name a few — but they are also proud to present outstanding unique pieces. With emphasis on post-war design, Modernity has throughout the years established itself as one of the leading galleries in northern Europe.