Story
Kiara started making ceramics at home in Venezuela, in a studio that had belonged to her mother who had tried to do ceramics as a hobby, but ended up being too busy to pursue it. So in 1992 at age 17, she took possession of the space, read a few books, asked for advice, and dove into a solo trip but soon realized help was needed to learn the craft. She looked for ceramicists she could apprentice with in her hometown of San Cristobal, Caracas and finally the US. In 1996, she went back home, where her mother had started an interior design studio, which was a fantastic opportunity for Kiara to work with her and her clients, creating custom and artistic pieces as well as site specific projects.
In 2000 she moved to Caracas, where her best friend was studying design and which allowed Kiaea to connect with the design scene there. This connection enriched her practice and sparked a more design-conscious body of work. During this period she also came in contact with a ceramics collective called “Grupo de Turgua”, which held ceramic encounters and promoted the craft in the region. Even though neither of these two affiliations were formal, they gave her a sense of belonging, and she embraced the labels as designer and crafts person with enthusiasm.
In 2010 she moved to New Haven, CT where she has continued her craft. Twenty five years in the trade have refined her crafting skill and designing and she has recently reconnected with the interior design world by working with designers both in New York and Connecticut.
Artist’s Statement
My favorite qualities about clay are its versatility and its expressiveness: clay can be thrown on the potter’s wheel or flattened into slabs for hand building, used as a liquid to cast molds or simply pulled and pressed with your bare hands. So many things can be made from it, from jewelry to wall covering and almost anything in between.
Over the years I have developed an extensive glaze palette. I like to create pieces with a strong contrast between colors and textures. My shapes tend to be simple because they are meant to be canvases for my often intricate glaze application.
I marvel at how all the steps of the ceramic process transform inside the kiln; the quality and texture of the fired pieces, the contrast between glazes, the stone-like durability.
Finally there is the contribution of my geographical origins. Venezuela is a colorful and tropical country, with lush vegetation and a wide array of mid-century modern architecture. These are aspects that have always inspired my work, and which along with the shaping and glazing techniques I use, come together to make my work what it is.
Awards and recognitions:
2019: Top 25 Products of Architectural Digest Design Show, NYC.
2008: Premio a la Innovación Productiva. Premio Eureka | Centro Cultural Corp Banca.
1998: Second Place. Chess in Art | Centro de Bellas Artes de Maracaibo.
Individual Shows:
2019: Ceramics by Kiara Matos | Fisher Gallery, Farmington Valley Arts Center. Avon, CT, USA
2012: CeramiK. | Chopplet Gallery, Brooklyn NY,USA
2009: Fronde Tenere E Belle | Galeria Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela.
2007: Kiara Matos, Obras Recientes | Sala TAC, Caracas, Venezuela.
2002: Contenido: Color | Centro Cultural Corp Banca, Caracas, Venezuela.
1999: Marte en Capricornio | Galeria Eugenio Mendoza, Ateneo del Táchira, Venezuela.
Collective Shows:
2022: Hidden spaces. Unknown Places | Perspectives Gallery @ Whitney Center, Hamden, CT
2021: 1000 Vases | Superstudio Piu, Milan Design Week, Milano, Italy.
2019: Diez Cruces | Galería Cesta República, Madrid, Spain.
2013: Pottery Invitational | Worcester Center for the Arts, Worcester, Massachusetts.
2009: Encuentro en el Jardín | Centro de Arte Hacienda La Trinidad, Miranda, Venezuela.
Utilitario | Centro Cultural Corp Banca, Caracas, Venezuela
2008: Premio Eureka a la innovación en la Artesanía | Centro Cultural Corp Banca, Caracas, Venezuela.
2006: Cacao | Sala TAC, Caracas, Venezuela..
Turgua Entremuros | Galeria Artepuy, Caracas, Venezuela.
2005: Azul. | Centro de Arte Torre la Previsora. Caracas, Venezuela
XXVI Encuentro de Turgua | Caracas, Venezuela
2003: Latin American Design | Latin American Design Foundation / Holland, Netherlands.
2002: XIX Encuentro de Turgua | Venezuela
2001: XXVIII Salon Nacional de las Artes del Fuego | Valencia, Venezuela.
1998-1996: Chess in Art. Contest. | Centro de Bellas Artes de Maracaibo, Venezuela.
XVII Anniversary of AVAF | Ateneo del Táchira.
Showing as local artista for her city. San Cristóbal, Venezuela