Paolo Porelli

Paolo Porelli (b. 1966) is an artist based in Rome, Italy, and a co-founder of CRETA Rome, an international centre for ceramics and fine arts. He graduated in painting from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma and later began an extended period of experimentation with ceramics, identifying the anthropomorphic figure as his primary expressive form.

Clay remains his principal medium, though he frequently incorporates ready-mades and casts of found objects into his sculptures. His figures range from life-size to small scale and appear either as individual works or in installations. In recent projects, Porelli has used 3D imaging and 3D printing to develop prototypes for series of figures, which are then individualised through additions, subtractions, and alterations.

His work often addresses contemporary social tensions, combining surreal elements, found materials, and references to archaic symbolism. Porelli’s sculptures have been shown in nearly 20 solo exhibitions and over 90 group exhibitions, including international biennials across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has participated in residencies at institutions including The Bray, The Clay Studio of Philadelphia, the European Ceramic Work Centre, and Jingdezhen International Studio.

Porelli is currently preparing museum solo exhibitions in the United States, Germany, and Italy for 2026–27. In 2027, his itinerant solo exhibition Figure Out: Catastrophe or Regeneration will be presented at the Fuller Craft Museum for six months. He was elected a member of the International Academy of Ceramics in 2021.

Visit Paolo Porelli’s website and Instagram page.

Since I began sculpting in ceramics, experimenting with the many materials that are part of its universe, I have always had one thought in mind: the impact of human activities on nature. It is a concept that has accompanied me constantly and is still present today. Art can serve as a model capable of generating a new vision for a future that aims to reconcile man and nature. I use ceramics to create a vision of the sustainable development of human civilisation in coexistence with nature.
In early works, I focussed on the phenomena that generate ecological deterioration caused by the nihilism of consumer society. Self-criticism as an approach to the contradictions of contemporary man and his separation from nature served its essential function, but proved insufficient as an effective strategy for change.
Currently, I am producing works that promote the regeneration of nature, condensing organic and anthropomorphic elements to create a new perspective for a sustainable future, re-establishing an equilibrium between man and nature. Whether I am working on pieces with an environmentalist theme or developing other concepts in a dialectic with reality, all my work is carried out in parallel with the same ultimate goal of raising awareness of ourselves and the world we live in.
Recognising myself in the inclusive concept of the collective unconscious, and respecting cultural and ethnic diversity, I identify with my archaic Greco-Latin roots, the medieval visionary world, and the whole cycle of transformation of Western art from Giotto to the avant-garde to the open sea of contemporary art. My sculpture is an example of cultural eclecticism and historic nomadism that provides access to an archetypal dimension while expressing an incessant impetus for discovery of the infinite nuances of the mysterious world of reality.
My passion for ceramics, fuelled by my love of sculptural composition, engages me in an intellectual and physical process until I find the aesthetic dimension I am looking for. It is always an epiphany when the creation reveals itself, bringing to the surface my personal experiences, influences from art history, and attributes of the thematic research I am engaged in.
Ceramics has become a means for me to restore balance between man and nature. For years, working on myself and delving into the world of ceramics, I have tried to translate my feelings into physical clay. It is a creative journey that still engages and surprises me, allowing me to actively engage with reality by developing a vision that can renew it.