giovanni defendis
ART

artist STATEMENT

 

Growing up in the agricultural center of California has been a major influence on my work, and has instilled in me a deep connection with nature. My family were people of the land. They cultivated it, preserved it, trusted it, and built a life with it. I distinctively remember what my grandfather's hands felt and looked like as we worked his fields. They were strong, cracked, rough, and stained from the grapes he grew. For me they were more than that. They represented hard-work, perseverance, patience, and a love life.

  

Because of this strong family history, I am in pursuit of expressing and honoring the human expriences of struggle and triumph. I was taught to never give up no matter how broken my hands become. My pieces with the help of the wood fired process and an abundance of feldspar and cracks result in a refinement and breaking down of the  that reflect the burning spirit of preserverance.