Rosa Salas

I am drawn to functional vessels that are accessible, personal, and invite active interaction. Plates, cups and any other functional ware are made with the intention of making the sharing a meal with other people special and engaging. I hope that in my work I can create not only a fun and interesting presentation for food, but also a vehicle for purposeful and valuable times shared with other people.
My sets for shared meals that have eccentric and unconventional form and shapes inspired by abstraction, Cubist shapes, and whimsical line quality. The works’ graphic style, pattern, and play of symmetry and asymmetry come from historical ceramics such as Teotihuacan, Mayan, and Mimbres pottery.
My color palette is derived from children’s books, toys, and memories of my youth in Venezuela. It finds inspiration in the polychromatic houses in El Saladillo, the beautiful woven hammocks known as Chinchorros, where I would swing as a kid, or the indigenous Wayuu dresses known as Manta Guajira. These remind me of the Venezuelan and Marabino culture and tradition and they also speak to who I am as a person. A rich and vivid color palette allows me to celebrate the playfulness of youth and remind me of child-like joy.”