The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

Cristina Lloyd is intrigued by ceramics designer Timea Sido’s collection of vases, tea lights, reed diffusers, and candlesticks, and finds out more about the creative. bite lifestyle “I close my eyes and a tranquil, calm and creative world surrounds me, the four walls of my house encase me, providing shelter and warmth, yet it is the interior, filled with my much- loved objects that make it a home. My home is my sanctuary and the canvas for my work” - Timea Sido M any artists find inspiration in the most unconventional creations of nature such as a decaying autumn leaf with its filigree skeleton structure or a tangled spider’s web. Since 2002, contemporary ceramics designer Timea Sido has been intricately handcrafting stylish and beautifully designed ceramic objects inspired by a tangled web. The layering of delicate white earthen- ware clay is created in a controlled yet random way to construct a three-dimensional filigree surface. “I am captivated by symmetry and fine detailing, so everything I design and make has these elements in abundance,” Timea explained. “Each piece has to be luxurious and visually ornate as well as having a func- tion, even if the function is only to look beautiful on a shelf.” Born in the UK but with ancestries in Hungary, the artist’s passion for design started at an early age with Saturday pottery classes. In 2001, she graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design with a degree in Art & Design. “I have always been a maker playing around with a variety of materials, fusing them together to create contemporary objects, but it wasn’t until I set up my studio at Cockpit Arts London in 2002 that my interest focused solely on ceramics.” As a self-taught ceramicist, she has thoroughly enjoyed the journey of discovering. “I fell in love with the diverse use of white earthenware clay, and it just harmoniously works well in creating my visual ideas. For me, it’s all about having a design idea and then finding the best material to craft it from.” Having had an interest in ceramics from an early age, Timea revealed she was 10 years old when they had to write a story at school about what they wanted to be when they grew up. “I wrote that I wanted to be a potter. Then my interests changed and I started on a journey to become a fashion and textile artist. It was by chance in 2002 that I fell back into ceramics due to sharing a studio with other ceramicists and my passion was reignited.” Bringing together great designs and beautiful crafts- manship has been the driving force behind Timea’s work. What matters to her the most as a designer is, “Quality design that has integrity and style, and visual aesthetics in abundance.” She also loves the freedom of being creative and the ability to take risks when designing new works. Her signature is what she calls ‘tangled’ design, the thread that fuses all of her pieces together.