Emilia Burchiellaro was born and raised in Rome, Italy. Drawn to ceramics at many different times in her life, it has always been a complement to her graphic design work. Clay—specifically porcelain—is the canvas for her art. Her ceramic process is about discovery: she welcomes, and encourages, unknown outcomes. Her explorations involve tears, cracks, and the indeterminate, surfaces are generated through uneven folds, accidents, and openings, creating an intriguing rapport between inside and outside volumes, with delicate chromatic hues that oscillate between earth and marine colors. At times the ceramics feel like astral objects with crevices and craters. At others, they feel like the sea floor or a glacier. Her work reflects a fascination with the classical, baroque and ragged influences of her native city along with the sensibility of restrained Japanese culture to which she is deeply attracted. After more than 20 years in the San Francisco Bay area, she now lives in Rome.