Gustavo Assis
Architecture, Art and Ceramics
I am an architect, ceramic artist and researcher with a background in art therapy. My work has developed through experiences in different fields, often prompted by questions that emerge from practice: how a material behaves, what a technique makes possible, or what happens when an idea encounters resistance in the process of making.
Background
I graduated in Architecture and Urbanism from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). For several years, I worked on architectural projects, renovations and construction supervision. Architecture was where I first began to engage professionally with the transition from drawing to construction, and with the differences that emerge between what we design and what we are actually able to build.
Later, I lived in Kyoto, Japan, where my interest in the tea ceremony brought me closer to ceramics. I became particularly interested in the objects associated with this tradition and in the differences in form and surface that distinguish pieces which, at first glance, may appear quite similar.
Gustavo Assis working at the pottery wheel.
After returning to Brazil, I began studying ceramics and established my own studio. I initially focused on wheel throwing and glaze research, particularly celadon, tenmoku and copper-red glazes. Over time, the production of functional objects developed alongside sculptural work and experiments in which the outcome was not entirely determined from the outset.
Record of the celadon test associated with the account of the first firing.
Interior of the studio, with ceramic pieces on the table.
In Nova Friburgo, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, I ran a ceramics studio where I also taught. Working with students of different ages and abilities encouraged me to pay closer attention to the ways in which each person approaches clay. This experience contributed to my decision to study art therapy and investigate the role of technique in processes of care.
Current Practice
I live in Almada, Portugal. I completed a Master's degree in Art and Science of Glass and Ceramics at NOVA University Lisbon, with research developed through artistic practice and the study of materials.
In recent years, my work has expanded to include installations and experiments with computational processes. In some projects, I use digital models to investigate how matter can be organised; in others, I begin with manual procedures, repeated gestures or situations in which the material itself influences the development of the work.
The research I developed during my Master's degree, particularly in Memory and Desire, led me to investigate precariousness as a condition inherent in the creative process. I am interested in observing how a work changes as it takes shape, and how certain limitations can open up possibilities that were not anticipated in the original project.
Earth construction has become another area of investigation. It brings questions from architecture into dialogue with my work with clay, now at the scale of building elements and the knowledge involved in their production.
I remain interested in teaching and in experiences that allow others to discover their own ways of working with materials. My background in art therapy continues to inform my attention to creative processes and the conditions in which they take place.
Wall with partially detached render, exposing its structure and different building materials. Photograph: Gustavo Assis.
Barro e Pele — record of an artistic investigation.
Future Directions
One of the questions I wish to explore further concerns how we learn to work with materials. In earth construction, for example, knowledge may be developed on a building site, passed on between practitioners and later described in technical manuals or standards. What is preserved, and what is lost, in these transitions?
This question guides my interest in investigating how technical knowledge is produced and circulated, particularly in earth-building practices. I would like to better understand how different forms of experience contribute to what, at a given moment, comes to be recognised as valid knowledge.
In my artistic practice, I intend to continue exploring questions raised by recent works. Some concern the relationship between computational processes and manual operations; others involve memory embedded in materials and the transformations that occur as a work is made.
I would also like to return to teaching and develop working situations in which other people's experiences can contribute to the research itself. During my Master's degree, I missed having more opportunities to discuss work in progress with a wider group. This is something I hope to cultivate in future projects.
I cannot know in advance where these investigations will lead. For now, I want to continue working from the questions that emerge through experience.