Cecilia Blas
The Journey
Like a zephyr wind, I moved from the desert uplands of my birthplace Lima, Peru, to the tropics of Caracas, Venezuela, up to the beaches of Miami, Florida, to finally settle in the woodsy hills of Morris County, New Jersey. I have a BA in Sociology and Masters in Human Resources, both from Rutgers University. I worked in the corporate world for most of my life. Later, I became a Master Gardener supporting homeowners in their gardening needs. Currently, I volunteer at The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ. I donate some of my work to the NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking for their fundraising events.
I have diverse interests, from arts and crafts generally, preparing gourmet meals, working in my garden, to horseback riding and hiking. I like to travel in the States and abroad. Reading, nature, the visual arts, and music, nurture my soul.
DISCOVERING CLAY - My first introduction to ceramics was at the beginning of 2019 at the Mud Clay Studio in Madison, NJ. Discovering clay after years of working in the corporate world was transcendental. I’ve always worked with my hands—whether in the garden or cooking, sewing, crafting—and my work with clay came naturally, as if I had done it all my life. At the end of that year, I began deepening my study of ceramics through reading, videos, and hands-on experimentation and conditioned a studio in my home, where I could fully dedicate myself to explore and experiment with the different clays and other materials.
INSPIRATION - Comes from many sources, mainly, nature, art museums, and architecture. When I first started, I depicted flowers, birds, tree barks, and beneficial creatures from the forest and gardens surrounding my home and others; fish and corals from snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea; cacti from the deserts I visited; and other nature related motifs. I made a special collection celebrating my heritage - including motifs of the pre-Inca cultures in Peru who gave us the Nazca Lines into my compositions.
WORK STYLE - Mostly symbolic in nature - thought-provoking and interesting , but at the same time unique, appealing, and decorative.
In the last couple of years, inspired by the ordeals of survivors of human trafficking, I have been making lamps with symbolic themes. I include faces in the compositions. They are not clearly defined. Some facial features are missing, distorted, or hidden behind something, sometimes a mask - symbolizing that we know little about a person, regardless of the degree of kinship or closeness. We don’t even fully know ourselves. The facial expressions are inscrutable, maybe in quiet introspection. Although my work is not strictly representational, I explore, in my figures, themes of mystery, secrecy, and vulnerability, pain and self-preservation, and the contradictions that may exist between one’s inward self and outward presentation. I illuminate the work from within to radiate it outwards, symbolizing the brightness within ourselves reaching out and touching others.
TECHNIQUES - My specialty is hand-building. Most of my creations are heavily textured with homemade clay stamps. The illumination comes out through perforations or openings, or when I use English porcelain, through very thin walls. I work with several types of mid-range firing clays and porcelains. I may add cloth or paper soaked in porcelain or clay to create interesting textures and designs. I decorate and embellish my work with different types of commercial glazes, watercolor underglazes, wax, acrylic paints and pigments, and sand.
EXHIBITIONS AND AUCTIONS:
2024 - Exhibitor, The Center for Contemporary Art Members’ Non-Juried Exhibition & Sale, Bedminister, NJ
2024 - NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking Gala - Silent Auction, Bedminster, NJ
2023 - Exhibitor, Virtual Art All Night exhibition, Trenton, NJ
2021 - Virtual NJ Conservation Foundation Gala - Silent Auction
2021 - Exhibitor, Virtual McGroarty Arts Center 17th Annual Juried Open Exhibition, Botanical Abundance, Tujunga, CA
2020 - Virtual NJ Conservation Foundation Gala - Silent Auction