JÚLIA CIAMARRA

Ceramics

514-739-1065
juliaciamarra@videotron.ca

I was born in Budapest, Hungary. Since 1970 I live in Canada. After taking art lessons in various art centers, I registered at Concordia University. I graduated in the Fine Arts program and received a BFA diploma in 1996. During 4 years, I studied ceramics with professors such as Therese Chabot, Dave Dorance, Pauk Mattiew and Kent Benson. In order to better my wheel-throwing technique, I took lessons from Mahmud Baghaeian and Claire Salzberg.

The process of exploration is important to me. The pleasure of touching, animating the clay, as the wheel turns, makes you forget everything. You have to concentrate so much at times, that you skip breathing, in order to keep your hand steady. One accidental move and your piece becomes a "flying saucer".

I see human shapes in three-dimensional structures, Re round vessels. My goal is to look for balance and express my feelings in simple forms. What also fascinates me is the primitive firing method, which creates unexpected smoke patterns on the surface. The many qualities of the clay bodies are infinite. I participated in student exhibitions at the University of Concordia's Art Gallery. In 1999, I was part of a group showing ceramics, paintings and photos at the Pierrefonds Cultural Center.

In 2000, I cooperated in putting together the Millennium Exhibition (fine arts and history) for the Hungarian Community at the Maison de la Culture, in N.D.G. In 2003, I exhibited with CHAC a group of Hungarian artists at the Gallery Adagio/Delta Hotel. For the last two years I have been a member of the executive board for CHAC (Canadian- Hungarian Artists' Collective). In September of 2004, 1 accepted to serve as a member of the board of the Town of Mount-Royal Cultural and Recreational Committee.

I also organize concerts and theatre shows for what I received an honour from the Minister of Culture of Hungary. For my volunteer work the Women’s Y Foundation nominated me for the Woman of distinction 2002 award.

Since 1984, I teach in the Hungarian School of Montreal.