Agosto

In August, the city often feels like a place of absence. As familiar faces depart for holidays or family visits, the spaces I love become filled with strangers, leaving me feeling isolated, as if I’m missing out on something important. The heat is oppressive, shops and businesses close, and the routines that provide structure dissolve into emptiness.

During this time, I find solace in my daily swims at the local pool. This artificial body of water offers a sense of calm, a gentle, controlled escape from the world around me. The rhythmic sound of my breathing, amplified by earplugs, the bubbles breaking the surface, and the steady motion of my body in the slightly chlorinated water provide a comforting ritual. But it’s the light dancing on the pool floor that soothes me most - the colorful, shifting reflections that are always there but never the same. I find myself returning each morning, drawn to the weightless, hypnotic scene below.

Swimming pools have long been a subject in art, representing both leisure and escape. With this project, I aim to capture the feeling of weightlessness and timelessness that I experience during my swims. I will create a series of low-relief sculptures made from extra white, translucent porcelain, using the Nerikomi technique to layer the surface. Each piece will feature the subtle relief of still water, coated with a glossy, transparent glaze. The light reflections will be evoked with a pastel palette of watercolor-like pigments, creating a visual experience that mirrors the serenity and meditative quality of the pool.

This series will explore themes of isolation, repetition, and the quiet beauty found in small, fleeting moments. It aims to offer viewers the same sense of calm and contemplation that I find in those early morning swims, suspended in time.